A Week to Remember
by Peter Smith
Summary: Sixth story in the 'Junior Rangers' saga. School camp finally arrives, bringing a week of adventure for the Junior Team.
1. Prologue

Author's notes: welcome to the sixth story of the "Junior Rangers" saga. As usual, if you're not familiar with the setting or characters, a quick glance through the first few stories should bring you up to speed. Everybody mentioned the upcoming school camp in the last three stories, and here it finally arrives :). Any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Also, just for the record: I'm an Australian, and I spell the shade "grey" with an "e", and not "gray". Just wanted to clear that up, right from the git-go. Enjoy :).

**Prologue**

Under the starry night sky and the watchful gaze of the full moon, the desert transformed. No longer was the bleak landscape a harsh, unforgiving world of sand, rocks and heat. Bathed in a silver glow from millions of points of light, the desert became gentle slopes, serene tablelands and majestic mountains reaching for the heavens. On one such peak rested a large, unimposing beige-coloured structure. Circular in design, infinite in importance, the stillness of the desert was contrasted by the activity within the building's walls. Lights flashed, alarms sounded, and one very excited little robot hurried through the tunnels that honey-combed their way under the mountain carrying a small, silver box.

"Zordon!" cried Alpha, as he entered the Central Chamber of the Command Centre's top level. "You were right!"

"I was?" asked the disembodied head, floating in the blue plasma tube.

Alpha placed the silver box on one of the control panels and flipped open the lid. The room was instantly lit with a blinding glare, and Alpha's light-sensitive sensors blacked-out for a brief second.

"Yes," the robot nodded. "I ran some tests back down in the power vault, and your suspicions were correct. I can't say exactly what's happening, but my best guess is that, well, it's _fading_. The power within is actually fading back into the Morphin' Grid."

Zordon shut his eyes and said nothing for several minutes. "This is indeed troubling," he said, "but at least we know what tripped the alarm. How much time do we have?"

Alpha's reply was immediate. "Five days. Then it will lose all power and cease to exist."

Zordon frowned. "And simply for the sake of the one who held it last, we cannot let that happen." The centuries-old sage paused, deep in thought. _Surely there was something they could do_...

"Alpha," he began, "what if we moved our schedule ahead by a few weeks, and found somebody?"

Alpha took a few seconds to think, and then nodded. "Yes Zordon, that may work. In theory, the power is only fading because nobody is using it. I couldn't guarantee it, but having the power in use again may be enough to draw it back out of the Grid, and re-establish a solid link back into the world. But ayeyiyi, where are we going to find someone at such short notice?"

"This was our long-term goal at any rate," said Zordon. "We'll just have to make it a short-term one. Alpha, call the Rangers and have them meet here as soon as possible. We have a recruitment drive to organise."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Hey, there goes another one!" cried Scott, pressing his face against the window and watching as a large truck turned, crossed over the medium strip and drove away in the opposite direction.

"Move over," I said, leaning out of my seat and cursing the fact that I'd gotten stuck with the aisle-seat, "give me a look."

"Wow," said Scott quietly, as the truck disappeared into the distance. "That's like the fifth one in the last ten minutes."

I nodded. "Don't you envy them?"

"Totally."

I laughed and sat back into my seat, glancing down the aisle to the bus's front windscreen to see if the traffic had given way yet. It hadn't - the cars on our side of the road were still all trapped in gridlock. With the other side free of traffic, more and more impatient drivers were deciding to forget about wherever they were going, drive over the grassy traffic island separating the north and south-bound lanes of the highway, and go home.

With a dejected sigh, I collapsed back into my seat.

Scott turned to me. "Don't worry, we'll get there soon."

I held up my watch, checking the time. "You said that two hours ago."

His brow lowered. "I did?"

"Yep. And we were only about a hundred metres back down the road."

"We were? Oh. Then never mind," he said with a grin, and turned back to his vigilant watch.

I smiled, shut my eyes and leaned back in my seat. Here we were, the entire sixth grade of Currimundi State School, squeezed into two buses and on the way to Tallebudgera Camp on the Gold Coast for a week of fun in the sun... and we were hopelessly stuck in traffic. And had been for the last three hours. Leaving home about noon, we'd been travelling through Brisbane by one o'clock, had hit the outskirts of the Gold Coast by two, and it was now fifteen minutes shy of five. School students are naturally equipped to deal with the boredom of sitting in one place for hours on end without moving, but a traffic jam like this was almost criminal.

The day had started out so full of promise, at that. It had been a bright, cloudless Sunday morning, and all one hundred or so sixth grade students had gathered at the school just before noon, with our luggage and sleeping bags piled on the grass behind us, everybody looking forward to the week ahead. After all, we were heading down to the Gold Coast, the massive supercity on the border between Queensland and New South Wales renowned for its theme parks and famous surfing beaches, to spend a week at Tallebudgera Camp.

The buses had arrived, and we'd begun loading our luggage into them. All our parents were there as well as Jason, Kimberly and Zac, who'd wanted to come down and see us off. Their class had been to Tallebudgera last year when the three of them had been in the ninth grade, and they were all sure we'd enjoy ourselves.

"You'll have a blast," Jason told me, as he helped me stow my large black duffel bag onto the bus. "But just a couple of things - in the mornings, it gets cold, and I'm talking _really_ cold, so be prepared. Also, if they take you canoeing, don't pick Canoe 13. The camp staff never say anything, but there's a reason it's sitting in the back of the shed covered in cobwebs."

I thanked him. "Anything else we should know?"

Jason shook his head. "No, that's about all," he said. "Trust me, if you let your guard down, you'll surprise yourself." And with that, he'd given me a big bear-hug, I'd said goodbye to my parents, and hopped up onto the bus where Scott had already saved me a seat. Five long hours later, and here we were. The fifty kids onboard had sung just about every bus song that you _can_ sing (even some you really shouldn't, particularly when two of your teachers are sitting down the front listening to every word), and had taken to watching the traffic to pass the time.

The bus continued to crawl along the highway, making headway every few minutes when the traffic would allow it. Up ahead, Mt Burleigh came into view and steadily inched closer, a forested peak resting in a small environmental park that overlooked the crashing surf, a seaside mountain amid a sprawling metropolis. Once past the peak, the bus crawled across the bridge spanning Tallebudgera Creek and changed lanes. I noticed a sign reading 'Tallebudgera Camp School' beside a small road leading off the highway and couldn't help but smile, while beside me, Scott was bouncing up and down in his seat.

I turned to him. "Excited much?"

He laughed. "I just can't wait to get there!"

"Evidently," I grinned. The bus pulled off the highway and onto the side road, while behind it the second bus did the same. The road followed the creek side-by-side but then turned into a gravel driveway. Following this, the bus passed through a metal gate and finally came to a stop - we'd arrived.

Looking out the window, I saw we were parked next to a small grassy area beside a row of about ten small single-storey buildings, most certainly the cabins. A small path leading towards the sand dunes ran between the last cabin and a long, low building that I guessed correctly was the shower block. Beside this were two large open buildings, one containing numerous tables and chairs and the other with a carpeted hall beneath a second storey. The buildings were all linked by a concrete path and sat around a large grassy field, with a single flagpole and tall, leafy trees dotted around the edges.

Sitting on the grass, however, were about sixty or so kids, three teachers, and a rather massive pile of luggage, all of whom were staring unimpressed at everyone in the two buses. Well, everyone except the pile of luggage, of course, but given the looks on everybody else, that may have been a possibility.

"I guess they're the kids we're sharing the camp with for the week," I said.

Scott nodded. "Where are they from again?"

"Goondiwindi, I think."

Scott smiled. "Talk about a great first impression. We must be at least three hours late."

"That's probably why they look so happy to see us," I said.

At that point, Mr Di Certo and Mrs Larson, the two Currimundi teachers on the bus with us, got out of their seats and quickly ushered us all out of the bus to begin unloading our suitcases and sleeping bags. Very soon, we had our luggage piled on the grass, everyone sitting beside their own duffel bags. This accomplished, the Currimundi teachers all wandered over to mingle with the Goondiwindi teachers, and as the two buses started up and roared off out of sight, I turned back to the Goondiwindi students, and found that none of them had moved - they were all still staring the assembled Currimundi kids down.

I would've loved to have known what they were thinking, actually. Certainly they'd seen the news reports and read the articles about Caloundra - I'd be surprised if anybody on Earth hadn't - but what would it be like meeting people who'd actually witnessed some of those events first-hand? How do you spend time with people who's idea of normality was living on a minefield?

Across the field from us, sitting cross-legged on the grass behind an impressive pile of luggage, one of the Goondiwindi students leaned forward and elbowed the boy beside him.

"Hey Lochie, it's them!"

The second boy turned to look. "Oh yeah. Guess we missed rush hour. You know, I heard some of the guys talking before, and back up north, their school is like right on the beach, a couple of metres away from the surf."

"Wow." There was a mutual, impressed silence. "Do you reckon _they're_ in there?"

"Who?"

"The Power Rangers. I mean, the Junior Team are from Currimundi State School, after all. They could be in the sixth grade. Just imagine it, man. A team of superheroes wandering around camp, off duty for the week."

The second boy nodded. "It's definitely possible," he replied. "Although it's not like they'll be wearing name badges or anything." The speaker paused, thinking. "Which wouldn't be the reason you were so excited about coming to school camp, would it?"

"Uh..."

"And I'm suddenly remembering the start of the year when you dragged me to karate lessons every day after school for a month."

The first boy shook his head. "No, see, that was good for you. Think how much exercise you got."

"Like beating the stuffing out of those seventh grade jerks who were stealing other kids' lunch money?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Well, okay, that was kind of fun."

There was another pause. "But just think about it Lochie. We could be sharing a cabin for the week with the Justice League, and we wouldn't even know it."

"That is a pretty... interesting thought," the second boy replied. He'd been going to use the word 'scary', but in the face of his friend's enthusiasm, couldn't bring himself to do it. "It's going to be a week to remember, all right. Just promise me that if you do see them, you won't ask them for their autographs or anything?"

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad."

"Well that's something." He turned back to face the crowd of students, and grinned. "Notebook's already in your pocket, isn't it?"

The first boy reached into his shirt pocket and obediently handed it over.

"Good afternoon everybody," came a sudden voice, and everyone on the field turned to look. Approaching the students from the larger of the two halls was a tall, powerfully-built man who looked to be in his early thirties. He had blond hair and wore a slick pair of sunglasses, and was balancing a clipboard under his arm.

"Welcome to Tallebudgera Camp School," the man announced, once he'd reached us all. "My name is Mr Burgess, and I'm the headmaster here." There were a few groans from the crowd, and Mr Burgess grinned and continued. "Seriously, play by the rules, and you won't even notice me. First and foremost, since we're running late, we need to get the cabins sorted out. In the main hall," and he stopped and pointed back to the carpeted building, "there are nine dorms around the back. Four upstairs, and five on the ground. We've put the girls in the dorms, while all the guys will be sharing the cabins," and he indicated the line of cabins beside us. "We've mixed the two schools up, so we really don't want to hear that every room has been split in half."

With that, he reached for his clipboard and began reading names, assigning students to rooms. It'd be a while before he got to the guys and I knew that Scott would be listening for our names anyway. I leaned back, and began glancing around the crowd, thinking back to the events of last night, the emergency trip to the Command Centre and what Zordon had told us all. All around me were beaming grins and sparkling eyes, people all happily chatting amongst themselves.

We'd been told to look for a 'someone', although Zordon had said we wouldn't know who it was until we'd found them, whatever that meant. Still, we were surrounded by dozens of potential someones. Far from hindering us, as we'd assumed the week at camp would do, this could work to our advantage.

I turned back to Mr Burgess just in time to hear, "...Peter Smith and Scott Tiaron, in cabin twelve."

"I take it we have a home?" I said.

Scott nodded excitedly. "That we do."

Mr Burgess finished the list and looked around the group. "Okay, that's everyone," he said. "If your name wasn't mentioned, come and see me. You all have twenty minutes to unpack and settle in, and then we'll meet back in the main hall."

With that, everyone quickly got to their feet, picked up their luggage and began drifting off to find their dorms. Scott and I managed to gather up all our bags and we walked over to the concrete path, turning and following it down past the cabins until we reached number 12.

"Hey Peter?" began Scott, as we approached the cabin.

"Yeah?"

"Well, it's the ninth cabin, and including the girl's dorms, it's the seventeenth dormitory," he said. "So why is it number twelve?"

I stopped on the path, confused. Checking the cabins behind us, I compared them with the door we were now facing, and realised Scott was right. "I, uh, have no idea. Let's not ask questions."

He nodded. "Agreed," he said, and opened the door.

The interior of the cabin was small but airy, with large windows on either side of the room. We immediately saw that there were six double-bunks in the room - one on either side of the door along the wall, two end-to-end along the back wall, and one more on each side wall, twelve beds in total. Scott pointed to the bunk in the back left-hand corner of the room, and we headed over.

"You sure you don't want the top bunk?" he asked. "I know we talked about it in the bus, but..."

I shook my head. "It's all yours. I'm always terrified I'll fall out during the night."

"Cool," he replied, "thanks," and he climbed up. I sat down on the bunk, put my duffel bag on the floor beside the bed and unfolded my sleeping bag, spreading it out over the only-slightly-smelly mattress. By now the kids we'd be sharing cabin twelve with for the week had arrived, and were bringing their luggage into the room and choosing bunks. There were ten students including Scott and I, five from Currimundi and five from Goondiwindi. Once everybody had arrived, Scott jumped down and we all began introducing ourselves.

The three other Currimundi students were Jarred Lusk, a short freckled red-head who was a nice and mostly quiet guy, Tom Smith, an athlete with brown hair and soft eyes who'd inherited incredible diplomatic skills from his father, a high-ranking member of the city council, and Matthew McConnell, a kid of average height and dark hair who I normally avoided like the plague because, well, he was just that kind of guy.

The five Goondiwindi students all seemed to be pretty decent guys. There was Grant McKenzie, a short soft-spoken student who I didn't hear a word out of the entire week, as well as Petey Jones and Luke Graves. In every sense imaginable, the two boys came as a set - I just couldn't imagine one without the other. Petey had short dark hair while Luke was a tall blonde with rather prominent ears, but differences aside, they both occupied the same mental wavelength, with the same light-hearted cynicism and wicked senses of humour.

The last two to arrive were Lochlan Everett, who was tall, had wavy brown hair, and was armed with a razor wit, and Ian Thompson, who was average-height with sandy-blonde hair, sparking blue eyes and a warm smile, and many freckles from long hours spent in the outback sun. I saw the two were also close friends, in the way of two people who balanced each other out and met in the middle.

After we all shook hands and returned to our unpacking, I wandered outside to take a look around. A thin path ran down the side of the cabin, and at the back was a small grassy area, enclosed by a line of trees and a gardener's shed. A metal clothesline jutted out from the wall, and pieces of an older, broken clothesline sat rusting in the grass beneath it.

I walked back around and found Scott standing outside the cabin, and we headed across the grass towards the main hall. The hall was massive, a colourful mural covering the concrete wall and looking down over the carpeted area. It was an ocean scene, with a smiling yellow sun above frothy blue waves, all sorts of grinning sea creatures underneath (although any shark _that_ happy was planning something), completed by the ocean floor at ground level.

"Cool," I murmured.

"You like the picture?" asked Scott.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's, uh, cheerful," I grinned.

As the two of us entered the building, Mr Burgess came in from the other side, and crossing the room, stood in front of the mural. Outside, the sun had by now slipped beneath the horizon and night was quickly descending. Despite this, the man's sunglasses remained glued to his face.

Everyone had arrived in the hall, so he quickly organised us into the seating pattern we'd be in for the rest of the week. The girls were all on the left side of the hall, while the boys were on the right, everyone sitting in straight lines in their cabin groups one behind the other. Each row of guys sat next to a row of girls - I guessed that this would be how they'd team up all the cabin groups for the week's activities. Glancing forward, I saw that Brendan was sitting a few rows down from us, and Teresa and Sarah were in the line beside his.

"Right," began Mr Burgess with a smile. "Glad to see you all again. This is probably going to get very boring, but it's standard house-keeping, so bear with me. First up, showers and toilets are in the block over there, I'm sure you've already found them. The other hall is the food hall and kitchen, and you'll be eating all your meals there. This is the major meeting hall - after breakfast every morning we'll meet in here to assign activities. At the back," and we all turned to see what he was referring to, "the teachers quarters and accommodation are through that door. They're strictly out of bounds, by the way. The staircase leads up to the second floor, which has offices, the camp nurse and a library."

I smiled at that. This was the first ever camp I'd been on which had a library. Cool.

Mr Burgess continued. "As for the groups which you'll be in for the week, each boy dorm will combine with the corresponding girl dorm, the line your line is sitting next to, and that's your group. You'll be in those groups all week, so you'd better get used to them." There was a quiet murmuring throughout the room, as everyone turned to see who they'd gotten lumped with. Mr Burgess continued, going through each group, telling them which members of camp staff would be their leaders for the week and assigning that group a mascot. There were dolphins and sharks, seagulls and turtles.

When he got to us, he introduced our camp guide Mrs Manderson, a tall rugged-looking woman with long brown hair tied in a ponytail who looked like the kind of person that saw a mountain not as a 20 kilometre uphill hike, but a challenge, before giving us our animal.

"Your mascot," he began with a slight smile, "is the mud-crab. You guys are the Muddies."

At this, Scott and I turned to each other and mouthed, 'muddies?' with raised brows.

This had suddenly gotten a whole lot scarier.

* * *

The meeting went on for a while, and everybody got steadily hungrier. Mr Burgess explained the basic format of the camp - each day, a different group would be on chore duty, which involved getting up early, sweeping, wiping down tables and other fun duties, and a list of the groups was hanging by the entryway to the food hall. Every day, we'd be woken up at six for a run on the beach followed by breakfast. We'd then all meet back here for the day's activities.

In the afternoons, we'd have about two hours of free time, and Mr Burgess pointed out the sports field bordering the campsite to the south (with the gravel driveway and Tallebudgera Creek to the north, the beach on the east and the highway to the west) if we wanted to play football, soccer or cricket. Finally, dinner would be in the evenings, followed by games and activities, supper (and with the promise of hot chocolate and biscuits, I know that I started paying attention) and then bedtime and lights out at ten thirty exactly.

Finally, he added with a small grin, several security guards patrolled the grounds from late until early in the morning, so we were advised against any late night strolls or pranks.

"And that," he finished, "is all. Enjoy your time here on camp. As I'm sure you're all starving, dinner is being served in the dining hall. You're free to go."

He needn't have told us twice.

Everyone got to their feet and jogged over to the dining hall. Three rows of wooden benches filled the hall, and at the front was a counter that everyone automatically lined up behind, with plates, bowls and cutlery. Further along were trays holding roast pork, chicken, vegetables and bread rolls. Several camp staff stood behind the counter, and behind them we could see into the kitchen.

I made sure to grab about four bread rolls, passing over everything else, followed Scott to a table and sat down beside him. Just as the two of us began eating, we looked up to see Brendan, Sarah and Teresa walking quickly towards us, their plates all piled high with food.

"Hey guys," said Sarah, as the three of them slid onto the benches. "Mind if we join you?"

Scott shook his head. "Not at all," he said with a smile. "Sit down, sit down."

"Someone's happy," said Brendan, as Scott began eating in earnest.

I grinned. "Put it this way - I'm sharing a cabin with the energizer bunny." At this, Scott tried to pout, but with a mouth full of food, it didn't look convincing.

Teresa giggled at the sight. "So you two settle in okay?"

"No problems," I nodded. "Our cabin's not bad, actually. We're sharing with some really cool Goondiwindi kids. How have you guys been?"

Brendan groaned dramatically. "Between the bus ride and that speech, I'm ready to nuke something just for the heck of it."

Sarah shook her head, buttering a bread roll. "Our bus ride was actually pretty fun. We all started singing old songs, and didn't stop until we arrived."

Teresa nodded. "I didn't even realise I _knew_ all the words to _American Pie_."

Sarah shrugged. "It's a classic."

I laughed at the image, and turned to Brendan. "Well, with any luck we'll have the week to ourselves and won't have to kill anything until we get back." I paused. "Besides, we know our jobs for the week."

Brendan nodded, halfway through a sizable piece of chicken, and Teresa glanced quickly around the hall. "You know," she began, turning back to us, "with all these people here..."

"Exactly," I said. "We might not have much time, but at least we got one break."

"Can we really do this on our own, though?" asked Sarah.

I lowered my voice. "Of course we can. We're the Power Rangers, we can do anything."

"Even if we're off-duty for the week," said Teresa.

I nodded. "So we'll just have to put our heads together and really focus... oh hey Scott, are you gonna eat that?"

Dinner continued on for a while, and after everyone had gotten back up for dessert, Mr Burgess (sunglasses still fixed in place) stood up from the teacher's table and told everyone that we had a half hour to clean up, and then to meet back in the main hall for some games and activities, or alternatively, an outdoor game of spotlight run through the darkened campsite.

Brendan glanced to Scott. "That sounds like fun. You in?"

Scott nodded. "You have to ask?" he laughed. "I noticed all these really good hiding spots on my way in," he said, then turned to me. "Want to join us?"

I shook my head. "I'll probably sit this one out."

"No way!" exclaimed Sarah. "You who could probably beat us all at spotlight with a blindfold on, and you're going to sit it out?"

I laughed. "I don't think I've got the energy for it, to be honest. I'll just hang out here with you and Teresa."

"Actually," said Teresa with a smile, "we were gonna grab our torches and join the guys."

"Yeah," nodded Sarah. "It's a good night for it, and besides, we get to meet all the Goondiwindi students."

I clutched at my chest, mortally wounded. "I'm crushed!"

Sarah smiled, as we gathered up our plates and cutlery and stood to our feet. "We're all sure you'll be able to survive without us for a few hours," she said.

We all split up and went back to our cabins to get ready. As Scott and I changed into warmer clothes, I noticed Ian and Lochlan putting on camouflage gear, and with wide grins, they grabbed huge flashlights and hurried outside. I had to admit that my sleeping bag was looking pretty tempting, but I wanted to get to know everyone, so turning in for the night wasn't an option. Plus, at that moment Scott physically hauled me out the door.

We met up with the others amid the large group of kids under the flagpole, and wishing them luck, I wandered back into the main hall. The camp staff had set up board games and things throughout the room, and a lot of kids were just sitting down and hanging out. Petey and Luke, two of the Goondiwindi kids in our cabin, were already there, and they invited me over. I walked over and sat down, and almost immediately began blushing at the jokes they began telling me. In all honesty, though, I did laugh. Quite a lot.

That was pretty much how the night progressed. Outside, Scott, Brendan, Sarah and Teresa did surprisingly well in the stealth and hunting aspects of the game, a slight misunderstanding between the two groups resulting in an impromptu karate match halfway through the night. Occasionally joined by Ian and Lochlan, the four of them came into the hall and sat with us every so often to catch their breaths, before charging back outside with renewed enthusiasm.

It was about ten o'clock when Scott came into the hall carrying two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and walked over to where the three of us were sitting.

"Hey," I said, then smiled as he sat down and handed me a mug. "A present?"

Scott smiled. "They started serving supper on the landing of the dining hall a little while ago. Thought I'd bring you some."

"Thanks," I replied, and lifting the mug to my mouth, I took a sip. My eyes went wide - my first thought was that I was in chocolate heaven. The chocolate milk was creamy, thick and warm, sending a comfortable warmth right down to my toes.

We both lowered our mugs and exchanged glances.

"Not so good?" ventured Luke.

I shook my head. "Take a sip," and I offered him my mug. He took one short drink, his expression remaining neutral, before lowering the mug and handing it back to me. Turning, he grabbed Petey's arm.

"We are getting some of that right _now_," he said, and began dragging Petey over to the food hall without another word. We watched them disappear into the ever-growing crowd of kids queuing beside the landing. Apparently word was getting round.

Scott took another sip. "Man, this stuff is awesome."

I nodded. "No arguments there. How was the game of spotlight?"

"Pretty fun," he replied. "The girls retired a little while ago, they said to say goodnight, and I think Brendan went to have a shower before heading in for the night."

I yawned and glanced at my watch. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. The lights all go out in about twenty minutes anyway."

Scott nodded, and we stood up. "Sounds like a plan," he said, and raised his mug. "Do you want to get some more?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

The two of us quickly lined up for two more mugs of hot chocolate, before heading back towards cabin twelve. Once inside, we changed into our pyjamas and slid into our sleeping bags. I was suddenly glad my sleeping bag was so thick - the cold night air descending on the camp was the kind that chilled right to the bone, passing through you and leaving icicles in its wake. The rest of our roommates eventually made it back to the cabin, and the lights around the camp visible through the windows switched off at exactly ten thirty. I think everyone had hopes of sitting up late and talking until well after midnight, but it didn't come to pass.

We were all asleep within minutes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As promised the evening before, at exactly six the next morning the camp staff went around to all the dorms and began pounding on doors to wake everyone up. They needn't have bothered with us, though, as everyone in the cabin was already wide awake. Petey and Luke had woken up first, while surprisingly enough Scott had woken up after them (I guess there's a first time for everything) and was talking to Jarred about how great it was to be on camp. I woke to the sound of everybody laughing at something Petey and Luke had been saying, while Ian and Lochlan, too, were awake - living in Goondiwindi all his life, Lochlan had never actually seen the ocean before, and despite trying to convince everybody otherwise, he was pretty excited about the morning run. The last to wake up was Matthew, and only because his snoring was so loud that Tom threw a shoe at him and woke him with such a start that even Grant laughed.

There were two loud thumps on the door, before it swung open and one of the camp staff I recognised from last night, a young man named Mr Potter, bounded in.

"C'mon fellas," he called, smiling, "rise and shine, up and at 'em. Beach run in ten minutes, be outside!" And with that, the overly enthusiastic camp instructor bounced out the door.

"Well, that was cheerful," said Scott, as he rolled out of his sleeping bag, dropped to the floor and went to his bag, stored on one of the spare bunks nearby.

I smiled, rolled back my own sleeping bag and sat up on the edge of the bunk, smashing my head against the top bunk and sinking back against the wall. "Argh..."

Across the room, sitting on the floor and putting his shoes on, Ian smiled as Lochlan dropped down beside him. "Let me guess, not a morning person?"

I laughed and stood up. "Only after midday," I grinned. "I guess where you guys come from, being a morning person is a prerequisite?"

Ian smiled. "Well, most of my family lives on cattle properties, so yeah, kind of," he replied. "But it's not like Goondiwindi is outback central, or even the middle of nowhere."

Lochlan nodded. "Yeah. We're more the outskirts of nowhere," he said. Behind them, Petey and Luke stepped out of the cabin, and Lochlan immediately turned to the sea breeze drifting in through the open doorway.

Ian smiled. "I don't think I can hold him back any longer," he said.

I nodded. "That's cool. We'll catch up," and the two guys nodded and headed outside. I went over to my duffel bag and pulled out a warm jumper and long pants - the cold hadn't quite left yet, and I remembered what Jason had told me yesterday morning. I briefly considered putting on shoes, and noticed Scott contemplating the same decision.

"Do you think we need to?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, it's only like about twenty metres down to the beach. We'll be right."

We went outside and joined the large group gathered on the grass, listening to the teachers address us. Mr Chamberlain (Currimundi's Physical Education teacher who'd come with us for the week) as well as Mr Di Certo, Mrs Larson, and a tall older teacher from Goondiwindi who's name I could never remember would accompany Mr Potter and another young camp instructor, Ms Moule, on all our forced marches, uh, I mean, beach runs every morning. Signaling us to follow them, the teachers and camp instructors turned and led everybody between the line of cabins and the shower block, across a small grassed area and over the dunes - the beach lay before us, empty and serene in the early morning.

The Goondiwindi students surged forward with a sudden burst of speed, nearly trampling the rest of us in the process. Trailing at the back of the crowd, Scott and I followed, taking one footstep off the grass onto the sand - and immediately regretting our earlier decision about our shoes.

I yelped and jumped about a foot into the air. "This sand is cold!"

"Yeow," murmured Scott, treading lightly. "You're right there. The ground is freezing." Although certainly not painful, the white sand was icy cold, a seriously refreshing shock. Back home, sand was usually too hot to walk on.

We continued down the beach and turned near the water's edge. Catching sight of the others nearby, we jogged over.

"Morning," I said, as Scott and I caught up.

"Hey guys," replied Teresa with a smile, noticing that I was shivering as I fell into step beside her. "Not too cold for you, is it Peter?"

"I can handle the breeze, but the sand's a little too much," I said. "Something's gone wrong somewhere in the world. Sand is supposed to be hot."

Sarah nodded. "We thought the camp people iced down the sand to keep us moving."

I nodded. "That could work."

"What are you talking about?" asked Scott with a grin. "It's not cold, it's... it's nice and refreshing."

Brendan glanced to Teresa and I. "Is he gonna be like this all week?"

Scott laughed and playfully jabbed Brendan with his elbow. Across the beach from us, the Goondiwindi kids were playing in the water and kicking up foam, amazingly unfazed by the cold. Sarah watched them for a moment before turning back to the rest of us and shaking her head. "I'd always thought the beach was just, you know, the beach," she said.

Teresa nodded. "We'd probably be just as stumped by cattle stations bigger than the entire Sunshine Coast."

I smiled. "I think they've got the right idea, though. This could be shaping up to be a really cool week."

"_Now_ you come on board," said Scott. "Seriously, this is gonna be great! A week away from everything we normally have to deal with. Chores, homework, crazed monsters destroying downtown. This is, well, _us_, on our own for the week, with no help but no responsibility either. And to top it off, we're on the Gold Coast. It can't get any cooler." He paused, glancing over to Brendan and I and nodding. "Even if the weather happens to be out of synch with the geography," he conceded.

The five of us jogged on in silence for a few minutes, until Teresa turned to see Brendan looking from her to the water and back again with a sly grin on his face.

"Say," he began innocently, "the water looks awfully nice this morning."

Teresa rolled her eyes, trying her best to look unamused. "Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?"

"Just don't."

* * *

We turned around and made it back to the campsite soon enough. Splitting up, we returned to our cabins and changed to slightly cooler clothes, before heading over and joining everybody waiting outside the dining hall. When the camp staff opened the doors, everyone went in for breakfast. Along the counter were boxes of cereal, sugar, honey and syrup, milk, juice and pieces of toast. We quickly grabbed what we wanted, and headed over for a spare table.

Once breakfast was over, everybody gathered in the main hall to hear the day's activities. We all eagerly made our way over and sat in line, and Mr Burgess stood up in front of the large mural. I began to suspect that he slept wearing those sunglasses.

"Okay," he announced, "we're running a little behind, so this'll have to be fast. First of all, the group that comprises cabin number seven and dorm one," and at this, Scott and I looked up, as this was the group that Teresa, Sarah and Brendan were in, "because there aren't as many in your dorms as in the others, you'll combine with the Muddies to form one big group."

Everyone clapped and cheered at this, and Scott pumped his fist in the air.

"Secondly, because the bus is about to leave, you guys will be leaving first," he continued. "Your group will be the first one to head to SeaWorld this week, and since we're already late, you'd better get moving. Follow Mrs Manderson to the bus..." but whatever else he was saying was drowned out by the sudden roar of cheers, as everyone in the Muddies leapt to their feet. SeaWorld, one of the three major theme parks on the Gold Coast as well as a major tourist attraction, and we were heading there first. I turned to Scott, and saw him smiling a thousand-watt grin.

"Awesome," we said in unison, and we joined the mass of students racing out of the hall towards where Mrs Manderson stood beside the camp's own minibus.

We'd missed the morning rush hour, and the bus trip across the Gold Coast only took about fifteen minutes, everyone happy when the bus finally pulled under SeaWorld's overhead monorail track and into the massive carpark. Primarily built as a wild-life sanctuary, SeaWorld later grew into a tourist attraction as well as a five star resort. Covering several dozen square kilometres, the park has dozens of artificial lagoons, some of which are the largest in the world, that house numerous injured and recovering animals all in need of a home. One section of the park features roller coasters, rides and attractions, while another holds the Nara Resort, a first-class hotel, with all sections linked by SeaWorld's monorail system.

Mrs Manderson and Mr Di Certo led us through the front gates and we were greeted by several smiling SeaWorld staff members who took us on a guided tour of the theme park. They led us across concrete pathways, past enormous aquariums containing brightly-coloured fish and coral, into a low grey building where we all sat in a large amphitheatre and watched divers hand-feed sharks and rays, and finally towards 'Dolphin Cove', a huge lagoon where dolphins swam back and forth around an anchored pirate ship.

Time passed quickly and it was soon midday. We were all gathered together in the section of the park devoted to sideshow rides, with towering roller coasters on either side of us, a flume ride twisting around a Viking castle up ahead, and a huge artificial volcano nearby cheerfully titled 'The Bermuda Triangle' with corresponding surprises inside. It was there that Mr Di Certo announced the good news - we had an hour to ourselves and lunch would be at one. Everyone cheered happily, and the group split up, everyone charging off to try all the respective rides.

I know it sounds silly, but I cannot stomach theme park rides, and always do my best to avoid them. I put it down to residual angst from when I once travelled to Disneyland, Los Angeles, and was scared out of my mind by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride - granted I was three years old at the time. But it was embarrassing, particularly since my best friends have all seen me face down far more dangerous threats than side-show attractions, and I wandered off on my own for the following hour, exploring the park before finding a seat in the shade near the group's original

meeting place.

Eventually, everyone began slowly drifting back in twos and threes. Luke and Petey came into sight, Petey threatening his best friend with all sorts of horrible things if Luke forced him onto the roller coaster one more time, while Lochlan and Ian were behind them.

"Hey," came a voice, and I turned around. "Where did you disappear to?" asked Teresa, as she and the others walked over. "You missed all the cool stuff."

"I was just looking around," I said, which was technically the truth.

Scott sat down beside me, the only person with a pretty good idea why I'd been absent. "That's cool," he said. "Anything important?" he asked, lightly tapping his communicator.

I shook my head. "I'm still nowhere near solving that particular problem. Heck, I hadn't even thought about it."

"Don't worry too much. We've still got time," said Sarah. "We're at our best when we're up against the clock, right?"

Teresa nodded. "Exactly."

Behind us, Mr Di Certo and Mrs Manderson walked up to the group of kids, having spent the last hour as guests in an air-conditioned staff lounge, and called us all together.

"Well," began Mr Di Certo, as everyone began to mill around the two teachers, "I see everybody's enjoyed themselves. How about lunch?"

* * *

Rita Repulsa knew something was going on. Goldar, Scorpina, and even Squatt and Baboo, all knew that something was happening. But try as they might, none of them could figure out _what_. They'd been watching the eleven Power Rangers closely for days now, ever since that late-night trip to the Command Centre last week, and now listened in confusion to what the five younger Rangers were talking about.

"Maybe Zordon has a cold or something?" ventured Squatt helpfully.

Rita rolled her eyes. "Whatever it is, I hate being left out of the loop."

Goldar stepped forward. "Empress," he began, "perhaps now is not the time to worry. After all, the five Junior Rangers are alone, and Finster has just finished a series of several powerful new monsters..."

The witch turned to him and snapped her fingers. "Goldar, that's it! Just what I need to cheer myself up. Oh, Finster...?"

* * *

With the promise of lunch by the artificial lake near the park's entrance driving us on, we followed the guides back towards the front of the park. As the concrete path passed between the dolphin lagoon and the 'corkscrew' roller coaster, one of the Currimundi girls, a bubbly friend of ours named Jane Noonan, began telling us about several Japanese tourists who'd cornered her and began taking pictures, fascinated by her pale complexion and blond hair. Everyone laughed, and she was about to continue when suddenly an alarm began to sound, echoing through SeaWorld's exterior PA system.

Having lived through enough emergency situations to last several lifetimes, Mr Di Certo took charge, automatically turning back to us and motioning for everyone to stop.

"What's happening?" asked Scott, glancing around.

The teacher turned from Mrs Manderson to the SeaWorld guides but received only blank looks. He shrugged, and was about to reply when something in the distance caught his attention, and a look of terror began to cross his face. Now both curious and slightly afraid, we turned around to look, only to be met with the sight of a horde of screaming tourists, racing down the path towards us. And something else.

"Oh no," said Teresa.

A tall creature was advancing quickly along the pathway towards the group of students, paying no attention to the fleeing tourists and park staff around it. Anything but human, the six-foot-tall animal was deep blue with purple stripes, and several large purple fins were visible along its backbone, the same fins on the back of its arms and legs. A fish-shaped head with two beady yellow eyes sat behind long jaws of jagged, yellow teeth, and long wicked-looking claws were visible on both its grasping arms and powerful hind legs.

"Was it too much to ask for just one week's holiday?" asked Sarah, to no-one in particular.

Everyone but the five of us took a step back and turned to the guides for help. Mr Di Certo didn't waste another second.

"C'mon kids, let's go, let's go!" he shouted, and guides and students alike turned and ran for their lives away from the approaching monster.

The five of us automatically turned to each other. I glanced around the area and pointed to a small brown shed up ahead. "Over there."

"Right," everyone responded.

Racing over, we ducked around to the back of the wooden structure, finding ourselves facing a chainlink fence. We looked around to make sure we were alone, but needn't have worried - the area had long since become abandoned.

"Okay guys," I said. "It's morphin' time!"

* * *

Advancing along the pathway, the monster made no attempt to chase down the fleeing crowd. Instead, coming to a stop with his lips curling into an evil grin, the beast held his arms out and two fin-shaped blasters materialised in his palms. Leveling the weapons, the monster took slow, deliberate aim, and his fingers tightened around the triggers.

"Fish in a barrel," he murmured.

Without warning, five shapes suddenly somersaulted over the monster's head in a blur of colour and motion, landing side-by-side ahead of him.

"Hold it right there," I said.

"Yeah," nodded Sarah. "One more step and you're lunch."

The monster growled, the ancient look of predatory cunning in its eyes. "I'll call when I'm afraid," he sneered. "The name's Barracuda, and I'm here on a mission."

"Good for you," I replied, as we slowly closed in towards the monster. "We're here on holiday, and we don't appreciate the interruption."

"Then maybe you'll appreciate this!" he yelled and raising his blasters, he began firing. Everyone dived forward to safety, and rolled to our feet as the blasts smashed harmlessly into the ground behind us.

"Nice try," began Scott, his Power Staff forming in a flash of blue light, "but no cigar."

The monster was unfazed by his miss at point blank range. "All right then," Barracuda replied, "how about a school of putties?" With that, he held his arms wide, and the air around us was suddenly filled with dozens of the grey warriors, appearing out of nowhere, touching down and closing in. "Putty patrol, attack the Rangers, get the kids, destroy them all!"

About a dozen grey warriors immediately turned, sprang past the five of us and raced away along the pathway.

Teresa glanced from the fleeing putties to the other half of the army closing in. "Not good."

I nodded. "Teresa, we'll chase after 'em. You guys stay here."

"Right!" everyone replied, and the Blue, Purple and Aqua Rangers immediately launched themselves at the grey warriors, dropping opponents with kicks, punches and judo chops and quickly clearing a path for Teresa and I. Dodging and avoiding attacks from all sides, Teresa and I somersaulted over a wall of the grey warriors, rolled to our feet and raced away. We had to catch up to the putties, and they'd already gained a consider advantage.

* * *

The putties soon caught up with the group of fleeing students and quickly overtook them, cutting of their escape path and fencing them into a corner between two of the park's maintenance sheds. Everyone shrank back and huddled together in fear, whimpering helplessly as the line of silent, grim warriors steadily closed in.

Standing at the front of the crowd, Ian glanced desperately from the putties to Lochlan at his side and the other students behind him. The putties were advancing, and it looked like the Power Rangers were still back fighting the monster. With no other options and the knowledge that somebody _had_ to do something, Ian reached over and tapped Lochlan on the shoulder.

"Lochie," he whispered, "you _do_ remember that karate course, right?"

Lochlan nodded, and was about to ask Ian what that had to with anything when he realized what Ian was thinking. Of course - he thought _about_ the Rangers enough, so obviously he'd think _like_ one.

"No," he said firmly. "No way. We are so not..."

Ian glanced to him. "We have to do something," he said, "until the Rangers get here. And what else have we got?"

Lochlan shook his head, not at Ian's question but at the sheer insanity of it in the first place. Ian was right, but still. "Fine. But if we die, I'm never talking to you again," he hissed, but Ian smiled anyway.

The grey warriors advanced without fear towards the kids, the need for caution non-existent as the Rangers were busy far away. And so they were caught completely by surprise when Lochlan suddenly sprang forward and sent a putty crashing to the ground with a powerful spinning kick. The warriors froze, surprised, and Ian took the opportunity to attack, leaping forward and jump-kicking two enemies before sending a third stumbling with a blow to the chest.

"Ian! Lochlan!" cried Mr Di Certo. "What are you doing? Get back here!"

Spurred on by adrenaline, they either didn't hear the shout or ignored it, even though the putties had now recovered and were starting to fight back. Ian ducked under a roundhouse punch before grabbing the putty's arm and spinning him away, before a low foot sweep took another adversary to the ground. Beside him, Lochlan had grabbed the closest thing to a weapon within reach, a trash can lid, and was using it as a shield to block and attack, batting aside opponents and smashing them away. Sidestepping a high kick, he spun around to attack, but one of the putties yanked the weapon away from him and struck him to the ground. He rolled to his feet but backed away as two more putties closed in - when suddenly, a gloved hand grabbed each of the warrior's shoulders, spun them both around and dropped them both with a blow to their chests.

Lochlan watched them fall, and looked up in shock - the White Ranger stood before him, a pile of unconscious putties around her.

"Good work," Teresa nodded. "Well done."

Behind them both, Ian had been holding off several opponents at once when a fourth had attacked from the side. Caught off-guard, he'd turned to block but was thrown backwards by two of his opponents and then pinned to a wall as the other two closed in. Suddenly, the two facing him were launched into the air as the Orange Ranger grabbed their shoulders and threw them aside. The two on either side of Ian froze, and he watched as I dropped the putty on his right with a high kick before a palm-strike launched the fourth and back through the wall behind him.

Ian froze, his mouth hanging open in silent shock. Joking with Lochlan aside, he hadn't actually expected to meet any of the Rangers during the course of the week, but now, the Orange Ranger was standing before him, larger than life. It was one of those moments where nothing else seemed to matter, apart from an overwhelming here and now.

Seeing I'd have to initiate any conversation, I stepped forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," I said, before turning to where Mr Di Certo stood waiting anxiously. "You'll be okay," I called, disguising my voice as best as I could. "Lead everyone to the front of the park, and we'll take it from here."

The teacher nodded. "Thank you Rangers," he replied, before turning back to the rest of the group. "Okay kids, let's go!"

After congratulating Lochlan, Teresa walked over to me as we watched the group leave the area.

"Did you just see what I just saw?" I asked.

The White Ranger nodded. "You know, I actually think I did," she replied. "But c'mon, we have to go back and help the others."

* * *

"Fight you claybrains, fight!" cried Barracuda, enraged at how easily the three Rangers were defeating his army of putties. Scott was dropping several at a time with every swing of his staff, while Sarah and Brendan were fighting back to back, kicking and punching in unison as a pile of crumpled opponents formed around them. Finally, a spinning high kick from Sarah over a low foot sweep from Brendan sent their final few adversaries opponents to the ground, and the three Rangers turned to Barracuda.

"Your turn," said Sarah.

"Fine by me," the monster growled, and immediately raised his blasters and began firing. Bolts of energy smashed into both Sarah and Brendan and sent them crashing, but Scott dodged the blasts, somersaulted into the air and slammed his staff down onto the twin laser weapons, instantly destroying them both, before ramming his Power Weapon into the beast's jaw and sending the monster stumbling with a blow to the ribs. Barracuda was soon back to his feet, but by now, the Purple and Aqua Rangers had recovered, and they raced forward to aid Scott.

Brendan took to the air, smashing the monster back with a spinning heel to the jaw, before dropping to the ground and aiming a high kick - Barracuda struck away his boot, jumped back over a low sweep and raked his claws for Brendan's chest. The Aqua Ranger blocked the move, striking away another lunge before landing a rapid blow to the monster's neck and a low punch to the beast's gut. Sarah followed after him as the creature stumbled backwards, but Barracuda recovered quickly, blocking a low kick and striking Sarah back with a roundhouse punch before turning and finding Scott nearby - the Blue Ranger ducked under the monster's claws but was sent stumbling with a kick to the stomach.

Gazing around the battlefield, Barracuda turned back to Brendan and charged towards him, but the Aqua Ranger quickly avoided the monster's blows and somersaulted backwards out of danger, racing over to his team-mates and helping them to their feet as Barracuda advanced. Without warning, Teresa and I dropped down in front of the monster, and we spun on the spot and rammed our boots into his scaly chest, the double-kick sending him crashing.

"You guys okay?" I asked.

"Never better," replied Sarah, as the three of them joined Teresa and I.

"There's five of us now guys," said Scott. "Let's get him!"

"Right!" And everyone charged back towards the monster.

I charged towards Barracuda, leaping over a low swipe and kicking forward, before landing and smashing his jaw with a powerful right backhand. The monster brushed my fist away and aimed high, but Teresa and Scott somersaulted down between us, Scott batting the beast's claws away with his staff and Teresa landing several judo chops to his elongated neck, before a low punch sent him stumbling. Barracuda roared and spun towards the White Ranger, but even as Teresa blocked and batted away his attacks, Scott spun around and slammed his right boot in the monster's torso. Barracuda staggered backwards, stunned from the assault, and Sarah struck him back with a roundhouse right punch, stepping back and allowing Brendan to send the monster to the ground with a powerful scissor kick.

"Good job guys," I nodded. "Let's finish him. Blasters ready!" With that, everyone reached for their side blasters, and aimed for the body of the fallen monster. "Fire!"

Five simultaneous laser blasts exploded from our weapons and smashed into Barracuda, the force of the combined blast instantly tearing him apart in a huge explosion that lit up the area with a blinding glare and echoed through the park. Everyone instinctively stepped back from the fireball and raised our arms, before turning away and reholstering our blasters.

"Well," said Brendan cheerfully. "That was fun."

"Like surgery without anesthetic," Sarah said. "So much for the week off."

Scott laughed. "Shall we go and find everybody? I hope they haven't counted the roll yet..."

"Wait a second you guys," said Teresa, and everybody turned to her. "Before when Peter and I went back to help the others, well..." And with that, Teresa and I related the earlier fight to the other three Rangers, telling them about how both Ian and Lochlan had confronted the putties and had even taken numerous opponents down. Finally, we stopped, and there was an awed silence.

"Wow," said Scott.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I'll second that."

"You guys remember what Zordon said?" asked Brendan.

"About how, we'd know who we were looking for only when we found him?" Teresa said.

The Aqua Ranger nodded. "Yeah, that," he replied, glancing to me. "From the sounds of it, we just did. Wow. They really took on a whole troop of putties?"

I nodded. "Yeah, our thoughts exactly. I'll tell Zordon tonight, and we can move on it tomorrow," I said, smiling beneath my visor. "Talk about a weight off our shoulders, huh? Now let's go find the others."

The five of us found an empty building, demorphed and quickly slipped back into the crowd, tracking down our classmates and rejoining the group when Mr Di Certo wasn't looking. Sadly, the battle had shot our afternoon plans apart. Less than five minutes after the fight, SeaWorld shut down. All the rides and attractions had to be thoroughly checked by a team of technicians and engineers, aquariums had to be inspected to see if they were still structurally sound, and all of the animals had to be cared for. It didn't affect us, though - the water-skiing show we watched during lunch went on regardless.

We returned early that afternoon to camp, travelling at a time when traffic on Gold Coast roads was practically non-existent. Thanks to the forced closure of the park, we had several hours of free time before any of the other groups made it back, and we all spent the afternoon playing sport on the oval opposite the campsite. Ian and Lochlan were both simultaneously reprimanded for trying to take on the alien warriors and congratulated for their bravery, and the two both blushed, shrugged and said it had been nothing. Everyone eventually returned by about five thirty and dinner was served an hour later, fish and chips oddly enough. When supper was served, everybody made sure to drink plenty of chocolate milk.

Finally, late that night when the rest of the cabin was deep in slumber, I got out of my bunk (having dressed earlier), climbed out through the window and slipped around behind the cabin before any of the security guards noticed. Then, with the touch of a button, I was a thousand kilometres elsewhere.

I materialised in the Central Chamber and looked up to Zordon. Neither of us bothered with pleasantries, not out of rudeness but because we knew what this was about. And Zordon's look of anxiety turned to relief when I quickly said four simple words.

"Zordon, we found him."


	4. Chapter 3

Koulagirl -- thanks for the feedback. I was actually at Tallebudgera School Camp, all the way back in 1994, and while I was there with my friends, for the first time this fanfic series really came together in my mind, I figured out how it would all fit together, so naturally I wanted to really do the camp justice :). Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Onto chapter three...

**Chapter Three**

It was early morning, and the camp was deep in slumber. The sun hung low over the ocean, a brilliant golden disc over the horizon, and a cool, grey mist rested lightly over the silent camp. Slowly, the door to the teacher's quarters opened with a creak... and the peace of the early morning was shattered by a high-pitched whistle that carried through the still air, invading every dorm on camp and leaving about a hundred and sixty kids desperately holding their hands over their ears. Whistle in hand, Mr Chamberlain gleefully wandered out to the grassed area, the camp staff behind him - there was a run to be ran, and the kids were gonna _like_ it.

However, Dorm 12 was already empty, and had been for about half an hour. It was the morning we were scheduled to help with the chores, and having been woken early, we were all in the dining hall, helping put out the breakfast things, packing lunches for whichever group was going to SeaWorld today, wiping tables and just generally cleaning. Teresa, Scott, Sarah, Brendan and I all stood around a large bench in the kitchen, buttering bread rolls and filling them with salad toppings for the SeaWorld trip, being largely ignored by the people around us.

"Mmm," mumbled Scott, placing ham and lettuce on the rolls with near impossible precision. "These smell good. I wonder if they'd notice a couple missing?"

Teresa laughed. "I don't think so," she said. "We'd end up with soggy ham sandwiches in our pockets all day."

Scott paused, thinking that over, and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Still..."

Brendan smiled, then turned to me. "Did you talk to Zordon last night?"

I nodded, trying to decide whether cheese takes priority in the salad hierarchy over tomato. "Yeah, I told him everything that happened yesterday, and he totally agrees with our decision. He said he'll support us no matter what we do from here."

Sarah glanced back over her shoulder to where Ian, Lochlan and the other Goondiwindi guys were enthusiastically wiping down tables. "How are we going to ask him though? We don't want to scare the poor guy. I mean, how do we do this?"

"I think we'll just have to be honest," Scott said.

Teresa nodded, busily grating carrot. "Scott's right," she said. "He'll appreciate that more than anything else."

"But anything we do is going to have to be tonight during free time," I said, deciding to go with the tomato. "That gives us a solid couple of hours to take care of everything we need to." I paused. "Hopefully that's enough."

"It's so weird though," said Sarah. "I mean, Zordon's actually letting us choose. That's a pretty massive jump."

"I guess he trusts us to make the right decision," said Teresa. "Which is pretty cool. Oh, and Peter?" And I looked up to her. "Cheese _does_ go on before the tomato," she finished with a grin.

Everyone got back from the beach run soon enough, and the group was excused. After breakfast, we all gathered in the main hall and were told of the day's activities - for the Muddies, it was our turn to go canoeing up Tallebudgera Creek, where we'd find a spot to have lunch and then paddle back in the afternoon. At this, Scott and I glanced ominously to each other - the sky had suddenly grown overcast. Still, provided we weren't caught in a hurricane or anything, it sounded like fun, and we all wandered down to the canoe shed.

Each canoe held four people, so everybody chose partners and then paired-up with another couple. Scott and I found ourselves with two Currimundi girls - Sarah Wilmott, a cheerful girl with wavy red hair tied in a ponytail, and Peta Burrows, a friendly and usually very quiet brunette. The four of us went into the shed and chose the first canoe we saw - boat 6. Just as Jason had said, in the back corner of the shed sat boat 13. As we left the shed carrying our canoe, I couldn't help but see Matthew, who'd been paired with Damien, looking for a boat to take.

"Guys," I said, not wanting to waste the opportunity, "look in the back. Boat thirteen is still free."

Matthew turned and saw the boat sitting there, unused. "Hey yeah! Geez Pete, you're good for something after all."

We continued down to the water, dropping the canoe into the creek before going back to pick up some life jackets and paddles.

"Peter," said Scott. "That was mean."

I shook my head and turned to him. "No it wasn't," I replied.

He paused for a moment, thinking. "Yeah, you're right, it wasn't," he grinned.

* * *

It was a relaxing trip up the river. To our credit, Scott and I only fell in once, and that was because when the canoe bumped up against a shallow sandbank and the two of us stepped out to take a look, Sarah and Peta kept paddling. And we really couldn't be mad because they were laughing so hard at the sight of us tripping and falling flat on our faces. Mr Di Certo meanwhile paddled back and forth alone in a canoe, while Mrs Manderson cruised around in a small motor boat.

We paddled a fair distance inland and left the city behind us, stopping at noon on a large sand island in the middle of the creek. For lunch, we had hot dogs and a dazzling array of sauces to choose from - tomato, barbecue and tomato. But just as we began the trip back, it began pouring rain. About the same time, boat 13 mysteriously began filling with water. Equipped for just such an emergency, Mrs Manderson pulled some thick twine out of her motor boat, roped all the canoes together and gave everybody a quick ride back down the creek.

True to form, the weather began clearing up just as we arrived home. Once back at camp, everyone had a shower and got into dry clothes. It was the second time in two days that our daily activities had been cut short, so we were again given extended free time, a small piece of luck for the team. I'd spent the entire day thinking about what I was going to say, planning for any contingency or interruption, but even as I got changed, I didn't think I was ready. Needing more time, I declined invitations to join everybody playing sport on the oval, and decided to head over and check out the library. Scott joined me, and we went into the main hall, up the steps and around the landing towards the door marked 'library'.

"Hey Scott! Peter!" came a voice as we walked into the room. Turning, we saw Petey and Luke sitting at a table along the back wall, a pile of board games behind them and what looked like 'Scrabble' in front of them, both of them grinning mischievously.

"Want to join us for a game?" asked Luke.

We both nodded. "Sure," said Scott. "Sounds like fun."

I pulled a seat out and sat down at the table, while beside me, Scott did the same. But turning to the guys, I suddenly caught sight of the words they'd already begun placing on the board, and nearly fell out of my chair. To his credit, Scott kept his cool, calmly glancing over the board.

"Hmm," he said conversationally, looking at a seven-tiled word near the edge of the board. "I didn't even realise that _was_ a word."

The two boys grinned even more wildly at that, and I glanced at Scott, thinking the same thing - monsters and the end of the world we could handle, but a game of Scrabble with the boys just might be our defeat.

Scott and I stayed for about half an hour, nervously glancing around to check where the librarian was every few seconds and frantically shielding the board from view whenever she walked past, all the while with Petey and Luke giggling maniacally. At any rate, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy myself, and it was with some regret that I glanced to my watch and, seeing that it was four thirty, got up with Scott from the table. We had work to do.

Crossing the library away from the boys, we stopped by the windows overlooking the sportsfield. Down below, a lone figure was leaving the field and walking back towards the cabins. It was Ian.

"I guess this is it, huh?" said Scott.

I nodded. "Now's as good a time as any," I replied. "At least we don't have to ambush the poor guy."

"I'll go round up the troops."

I turned to him. "Don't be too quick though. I don't want to hit him with everyone at once."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Scott paused for a moment. "Are we really gonna do this? Actually recruit somebody?"

I nodded. "We need him, after all. And who knows? Maybe he needs us."

"Can you imagine if he says no?"

I shrugged. "That's the one thing I hadn't thought about, actually. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess." I glanced over to Scott. "What do you think, though? Have we done the right thing?"

"He's a good guy, and I think he'll be a good Ranger," Scott replied, turning to me. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I figured Teresa and I had made the right call," I said. "I just wasn't sure until now."

Scott smiled. "Good luck. I'll go get the others."

I watched him go, before turning and quickly browsing the shelves. Well, I was here anyway, I might as well make the most of it. Grabbing a book, I checked it out, descended the stairwell and headed back towards the cabin.

This is where things got interesting.

* * *

Across the road on the sports field, a game of soccer had been going between teams composed entirely of Goondiwindi or Currimundi kids. Either side would've told you otherwise, but the score remained a tie for most of the afternoon. Despite the time of day and the weather earlier that morning, the sun was high in the sky, and by half-time, everyone was feeling hot and sweaty.

"Hey," said Ian, as he and Lochlan left the field for a glass of water, "I'm gonna run back and grab my hat from the cabin. I'll catch up with you in a couple of minutes. I can get yours too, if you want."

"You wouldn't mind?" asked Lochlan. "That'd be great. Thanks man."

"No prob," Ian replied, and leaving the field, he jogged back towards the cabins. He knew that students weren't allowed in the cabins at this time of day, but he was only going to be a few seconds, and anyway, a minute or two out of bounds was better than sunburn which lasted for days. Glancing around quickly, he opened the cabin door and ducked inside.

He found his own hat sitting on top of his bunk soon enough, but Lochlan's was nowhere in sight. He was just hunting through the pile of clothes on his friend's bunk when he heard the door swing open behind him.

I stepped into the dorm and shut the door behind me, waiting for a few seconds as my eyes adjusted to the dark. Glancing around the room, I saw Ian standing over by one of the bunks.

"Hey," I said, heading over to my bunk in the corner.

Ian looked up and smiled. "Hi," he said. "You haven't seen Lochlan's hat around have you? For the life of me, I can't find it anywhere."

I shrugged. "Sorry man, I've been in the library all afternoon."

Ian nodded. "Petey and Luke didn't ask you to play Scrabble with them, did they?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." He turned to me. "You've got my sympathies." I grinned and laughed, stashing the book under my pillow, and Ian continued. "I'm not sure I can believe you borrowing out a book, though. We're on school camp. On the Gold Coast."

"Bookworm at heart," I nodded. "Anyway, I haven't read this one yet. It's the sixth one in a series, and while the first five stand fine on their own," and I paused, suddenly realising what I was saying, "it's just not complete without the sixth. Just don't tell Matthew."

Ian shrugged. "Doesn't worry me. But is he like that all the time?"

I nodded. "He's not even the worst. Scott's working out a way to slip tranquilisers into his chocolate milk."

"Just get the dosage right, otherwise you'll send him hyper," Ian grinned.

"Probably, knowing our luck," I said. Pausing for a minute, I stepped over towards him. "Hey listen, I'm glad you're here, actually. I wanted to let you know, what you did yesterday at SeaWorld was really brave."

Ian shrugged and looked away, and with that one gesture I knew everything about him I needed to know. "Thanks. But I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything, I just did what had to be done," he said. "You're from Currimundi, though. Can I ask you, have you ever actually met any of the Power Rangers? Like anyone from the Junior Team?"

I nodded slowly. "A few times, actually." Again, not _technically_ untrue.

"Do you think they, I don't know, thought that...?"

I nodded. "I think they would've been very impressed." Ian smiled, and I continued. "Which is why I was hoping to see you, funnily enough. Can we talk for a second? Not in here, I mean, somewhere else," I added, knowing that in the cabin, any interruptions would lead to all sorts of interesting questions.

Ian looked a bit lost, but nodded. "Um, yeah, okay. Sure. Lead the way."

"Thanks," I replied. "I don't think they'll miss us, and we shouldn't be too long," and the two of us turned and went back outside.

* * *

"Something's up," began Rita Repulsa, turning from her telescope to Goldar standing beside her. "Those power brats are up to something, I can feel it. Why are they so desperate to meet that other boy? What do they want with him?"

Goldar shrugged. "I'm not sure, Empress."

"No matter," the witch replied, returning to her telescope. "Send a troop of putties down to investigate. See if they can find out anything useful." Nodding obediently, Goldar quickly left the observatory.

* * *

I led Ian around the side of the cabin, and once we were safely out of sight, I stopped and turned back to him.

"If you wanted my autograph, you could've just asked," he said with a smile. "What did you want to see me for?"

I opened my mouth to reply, and stopped. I'd spent the entire day working out how this conversation was going to go, but it was all suddenly fading away. Teresa was right - standing here, looking into Ian's bright and slightly-confused blue eyes, anything but the truth would have been unforgivable. "See the thing is," and I paused for a second, suddenly realising how quiet this little backlane was, before taking the metaphorical leap. "I'm the Orange Power Ranger. I'm here on behalf of the rest of the team - we need your help."

Ian gave a short laugh. He hadn't been sure what to expect, but that wasn't it. "Are you serious?" he asked, brows raised. "Or is this about what I said inside? I didn't think you'd..."

At that stage, I don't think either of us was in territory we'd expected. "Totally serious," I replied. "I give you my word."

Ian looked me up and down, as if seeing me for the first time. "But, I mean, you can't be. No offense, but you're, well, you're _you_."

"Geez, is it that hard to believe?" I asked, partly to Ian and partly to myself. "Okay, the suit makes me look a little taller and buffer, but c'mon, cut me some slack." Ian laughed, and I looked up and smiled, suitably deflated. "Okay, you want proof?" And I reached for my back pocket. "Catch."

Ian caught the small metallic object, and turned it over to look at the other side - his eyes suddenly went wide, and with a startled intake of breath, the morpher nearly slid clean out of his shaking hand. He caught it before it fell, gripping the morpher so tightly his fingers went white, and looked back to me. "This, this is your..." he stuttered.

"Stegosaurus Power Coin."

"So you're the real thing?" he said, giving me the morpher and running his gaze over me again. "Wow. It's just, I mean," he paused, searching desperately for the right word. Nothing came to mind, or at the very least, his vocal cords didn't seem to be connected to his brain. "Wow..."

I grinned. "At least you finally believe me. Demolishing a cabin with my zord would've proved the point, but might've been a bit too much."

Ian smiled, and let out the breath he'd been holding in. "It's just kind of, uh, wow." He shook his head, and remembered what I'd said. "But what do you need my help for?"

I was about to reply when something caught my attention, and I held up my hand and gestured for him to be silent. I glanced from right to left, and listened for anything out of place - I could feel that something was in the air, something very wrong. Then it hit me - taking a step back and looking around the side of the cabin, I came face-to-face with two red eyes and a leering grey grin. I instinctively grabbed the putty and threw him behind me. Before he had a chance to recover, I spun around and smashed him against the cabin wall with a high jump kick.

I heard a noise behind me and spun back around - the grey warriors were suddenly everywhere, dropping down from roofs and leaping out from behind walls. I took a few steps back and turned to Ian, who was gazing in shock at our adversaries.

"Stay behind me," I said quickly, and raised my communicator to my mouth. It wasn't that I thought he couldn't take care of himself, but with everything I'd just told him, I didn't want to risk it. "Guys," I began, "bit of a problem behind cabin twelve. I could use some back-up."

"We're on our way," came Scott's voice.

I nodded, taking a fighting stance and glancing from left to right as the grey warriors danced around us, eager to avenge their fallen teammate. Finally, one leaped forward, lunging at me with both arms outstretched. I quickly side-stepped the warrior, landing a judo chop as he turned, striking away a left punch and sending the warrior crashing with a kick to the stomach.

As one, the remaining putties attacked - I ducked a high swipe, grabbed the putty's arm and threw him away towards a second opponent, before knocking two more backwards with a high spin kick. Several more charged towards me, and I blocked blows from both sides, sent the putty facing me back with a high kick, before an elbow to one side and a low kick to the other briefly left me without adversaries. I glanced to the side as one of the warriors recovered, but gritting his teeth, Ian grabbed my shoulder and swung high with a jump kick, the blow sending the putty reeling.

I turned to him as he landed. "Thanks."

His heart pounding in his chest, Ian grinned. "Yeah, well, apparently I have a knack for it."

I turned back to the rest of the grey warriors and suddenly found I wasn't needed. The other four Rangers somersaulted into view, immediately leaping to our defense and engaging the remaining putties. Working together, Sarah and Brendan leaped towards one of the grey warriors, each blocking one of his arms and throwing him backwards, spinning around and dropping him with two powerful high kicks. Behind them, Teresa was nimbly flipping backwards and forwards, remaining a step ahead of her opponents and luring them into place where Scott promptly took them out wielding a piece of metal from the broken clothesline like a staff.

Ian's eyes went wide. "They're... y'know... as well?"

I nodded. "Yep, this is all of us," and I turned back to him. "Listen, we need to get out of here. I'm gonna teleport the two of us to the Command Centre."

"The where?"

"The Command Centre," I repeated. "Kind of like our base of operations."

He nodded. "Okay, cool. We'll be safe there?"

"Definitely," I said. "You'll have all the time in the world to digest all this. So listen, you're about to be teleported. This is gonna feel a bit freaky, but you'll be fine," and with that, I took his hand and placed it on my arm, "hang on," and I gently tapped the top button on my communicator.

The pair of us were immediately immaterial, flying up into the sky towards the western horizon in two distinct energy trails, one orange and the other a neutral grey. Hundreds of kilometres of terrain flashed beneath us within seconds, towns, fields, forests and farms, and the Command Centre soon appeared on the horizon, Ian and I materialising in the Central Chamber a second later.

I quickly turned to Ian. Despite the trip he appeared to be fine, although his eyes had remained wide with shock. Slowly glancing around the room, he took in the control panels and their blinking lights, the dimmed viewing screen and the world map on the continuous round wall, taking a half step back in shock when Alpha cheerfully waved. Finally, he looked up to Zordon's energy tube, and found the interdimensional being staring down to him.

"Welcome," boomed Zordon, in the voice that reaches right into the back of your mind, smiling slightly as Ian jumped at the introduction. "My name is Zordon," he continued, "and you must be Ian Thompson."

Ian tried to reply but found that his voice still wasn't quite hooked up properly, so he nodded.

Zordon beamed. "Excellent. I'm sure your mind is racing, so please, let me try and help. Firstly, as I'm sure Peter has already explained, you were brought here because we wish to offer you the chance to become a Power Ranger, and fight alongside the other Rangers."

"Oh," said Ian, and nodded. "Okay." A second later, his eyes rolled back and he toppled backwards into me, giving me the chance to catch him before he hit the floor. Resting his weight against my left shoulder, I looked up to Zordon and shrugged.

"Well," I said. "All things considered, that went well."


	5. Chapter 4

Koulagirl -- thanks for the feedback :). I try harder with characterisation, because I do find it difficult. But I love everybody, and Ian in particular is such a great character. Anyway, here's how the decision goes...**  
**

**Chapter Four**

Teresa, Brendan, Scott and Sarah soon defeated the remaining putties and teleported into the Command Centre. I quickly explained why the new recruit had passed out, and after they'd helped me rest him on a stretcher by one of the control panels, Zordon congratulated us for not only fending off the putties but also managing to get Ian safely to the Command Centre, and was about to continue when the six Senior Rangers suddenly materialised around us in six bright flashes of light. After spotting Ian and nodding their approval, they congratulated us on our fight earlier in the week against Barracuda and the putties. But while the rest of the team talked, I sat on the control panel nearest the stretcher and kept an eye on Ian.

Jason finished talking with Teresa and Scott about the camp and grinned as he walked over to Ian and I. "You get an 'a' for effort, but I think your recruiting technique might need a bit of work."

I smiled. "It's good to see you again Jase."

"Who'd have thought a week would go by so fast?" he replied with a smile. "How's Tallebudgera?"

"It's been really great," I said. "I hate to admit it, but I'm having a great time."

Jason nodded. "That's good to hear. We heard all about your skirmish at SeaWorld on the news last night. Good job, that was really excellent." He paused, then added with a sly grin, "it was nice not having to come and, you know, bail you out of trouble for once."

I stuck my tongue out at him and playfully jabbed him in the ribs, and was about to reply when all of a sudden, Ian began to stir.

"Guys," I said, and everybody jogged over, "I think he's waking up."

Slowly, Ian's eyelids fluttered open, and his gaze soon focussed on me.

"Welcome back," I said with a soft smile. "You okay?"

Ian nodded and sat up. "Man, I can't say I've ever passed out before," he said. "Do you know what...?" but even as he began phrasing the question, the last ten minutes came crashing back like a tidal wave. He felt his mind reaching overload, and he turned to me before glancing quickly around the room.

_Damn_.

Rolling out of the stretcher, a hand on my shoulder for balance, Ian slowly climbed to his feet, and they mercifully held him up. There was a second of silence as he took in his surroundings, but as he looked around, he caught sight of the other Rangers standing together behind me. "You're the..." he began, looking at Teresa and Scott, before turning to Jason and the elder teens. "And that, that means you're the..."

"The Senior Team of Power Rangers," Jason finished. "Hi, I'm Jason. This is Tommy, Zac, Kimberly, Billy and Trini," he said, indicating each Ranger in turn.

"Uh, hi," he said nervously. He wanted desperately to be more eloquent, but he felt flooded with too much information. "Just... hi."

Across the room, Tommy smiled. "That's okay, take your time."

"Ian," boomed Zordon, and everyone in the room immediately looked up to our mentor.

Ian held up his hand, the name drifting to the surface. "Zordon, right?"

Zordon smiled and nodded. "That is correct. I'm sure the world is currently spinning at a phenomenal rate. Please listen, and I'll do my best to help you understand, well, everything happening around you." He paused, and when Ian nodded, he began his story.

"First and foremost, yes, you were brought here because we wish you to become a Power Ranger. However, that's not all there is to this story. Not all Power Coins were created with the intention that their owners would join a pre-existing team of Rangers, and such is the case of the _thirteenth_ Power Coin, which harnesses the power of the Grey Ranger. The Grey Power Ranger was created millennia ago to serve the forces of good as a solitary warrior. As such, all Grey Rangers since have worked as individual champions of justice. Until now."

Zordon paused, taking a breath, and continued. "The Grey Power Coin came into our possession many centuries ago after a great battle, and we have kept it safe ever since. However, with all that has befallen the Junior Team in the previous weeks, Alpha and I had been modifying the power so as to incorporate it into the existing team. Are you following me so far?"

Ian nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I remember seeing on TV that you guys lost a Ranger in a big battle."

"That's not entirely accurate," replied Zordon, "but close enough. Anyway, the previous battle which I mentioned placed more of a strain on the grey power than we'd first thought. Several days ago, the Grey Power Coin began losing power at a fantastic rate, fading away back into the reaches of the Morphin' Grid. I had no choice but to alert the other Rangers. Alpha and I discovered that the only way to save the grey power was to find somebody to use it, which would effectively draw the power back out of the Grid. And through good fortune and observation, the Junior Team has found a brave and noble defender, a person they trust and wish to become a part of our team. And that person, Ian Thompson of Goondiwindi, is _you_."

Zordon paused, and there was silence as Ian took in everything he'd just heard. Finally, he looked up and asked, "But why me?"

"You forget," replied the sage. "Your noble actions yesterday during the attack brought you to our attention. Your selfless bravery combined with your extraordinary skills make you an ideal candidate."

"But _me_? I mean, you said before you'd already lost a Ranger in a fight. Why didn't you just use this extra coin then?"

Zordon shook his head. "The grey power is, well, unique in terms of the other coins. It cannot be used by someone already bonded to a power from the Grid."

Ian turned to the rest of us, and shook his head in disbelief. "But you can't be serious, I'm just a kid! How am I supposed to fight demons and monsters and...?"

"We wouldn't have asked you if we didn't think you could do it," I said.

"Yeah," agreed Sarah. "We're the same age as you, and it's not like we don't spend time training. Besides, morphing does more for us than just the nifty outfits."

Ian looked away for a second. He couldn't make the decision without hearing every angle. "What happens if I say no?" he asked timidly.

Without missing a beat, Brendan spoke up. "We kill you," he said, deadpan.

To our surprise, Ian laughed and turned to the Aqua Ranger with a grin, as Kimberly exclaimed, "Brendan!" and whacked the Aqua Ranger over the back of the head. Ian shook his head, still laughing. _Man, Brendan would do even Lochlan proud..._

"Ignore him," I said. "You get used to him after a while, if it's any consolation."

"Well that's not true," said Teresa. "I mean, heck, _we're_ still not used to him."

"Hey!" Brendan replied, with mock-indignation.

"Well, it's true..."

Zordon had seen enough of Teresa and Brendan's playful arguments to know that if he didn't interrupt, they'd be there for hours. "If we can get back on track," he boomed, smiling and catching everyone's attention, "if you decide not to harness the power, we will simply perform a technique that buries the memories of the evening deep into your subconscious. It's completely harmless, and in essence you'll forget this place, and think you were sleeping off a bad cold all afternoon."

Ian nodded slowly and stepped back. This was crazy, this was just crazy. One minute he'd been a student on camp playing soccer with his friends, and the next? Somebody was offering him a golden coin and the chance to be a superhero.

Not just a superhero. A Power Ranger.

Everyone was silent for the next few minutes as we all stood there and tried to guess what Ian was thinking. Finally, he looked up to us.

"I, uh, I just need more time to think," he said. "There isn't like an outdoors around here, is there?"

Billy stepped forward. "Just through the doors," he said, pointing to the sliding doors beside the viewing screen. "Turn right, navigate around the corner and out through the exterior doors. We'll keep them open, but given the Command Centre's safety protocols, you'll require our assistance to re-enter the building."

He nodded. "Thanks," he said, before turning and heading out through the doors and disappearing from sight.

Everybody glanced around the room, and Trini was first to break the silence. "Think he'll do it?"

Kim shrugged. "I'm not sure," she said. "He seems like a really nice kid."

"Yeah, it'd be good to have him on the team," said Scott.

Jason turned to me. "What do you think?"

"I'm not sure," I replied. "I can't remember what I was thinking, I couldn't even guess what's going through his mind."

"Maybe you should go talk to him," Jason said. "See if you can help him."

I nodded, remembering the conversations I'd had with the Red Ranger after I'd received my own Power Coin. "You're right," I said, and looked up to Zordon. "I'll go talk to him. He probably needs someone right now anyway..."

Zordon nodded. "I'd venture to suggest he needs a friend more than anything else in the world," the sage replied. "We'll be here waiting. Take your time." And with that, the others wished me luck, and I turned and left the room.

* * *

The sun had slipped down between two triangular peaks on the horizon, framing the mountain range in a golden glow and setting the afternoon sky aflame. He shut his eyes then, basking in the golden rays and feeling the sun's warmth on his skin, and tried his best to get some sort of coherent mental grip on the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.

Up until exactly twenty-four minutes and thirty-seven seconds ago, the world had been a nice, safe little place to live. Comfortable, even.

Well, he thought, perhaps 'safe' wasn't _quite_ the best word to use. After all, in the previous six months, the entire planet had come under attack from some pretty strange forces, monsters, witches and supervillains, comic book characters alive and walking the Earth. But of course, where you had evil villains, you had heroes. There was always the balance, and the good guys always won. That's just how Ian understood the Universe to work. But he'd never in his wildest dreams imagine that one day he'd not only meet those heroes, but they would ask him to join them.

Ian Thompson gazed out over the mountains, and regretted ever thinking that life was complicated. Going to school, getting into trouble with your friends, working out on one of the cattle properties his grandparents owned, _that_ was easy. It all seemed so ordinary. People thought that being a hero was putting on spandex, beating up monsters and leaping off tall buildings. And sure, maybe it was _just_ that, but right now, it seemed like a lot more.

Superpowers or not, when you stand on the ledge of a tall building, it's a long way down. But just maybe, he had the opportunity to fly.

Or at the very least, teleport.

He heard the gravel crunch behind him, and quickly turned back to look into the shadow of the great building.

"Hi," I said quietly, walking over to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, that's okay," he replied, "I was just, uh, never mind. C'mon over, sit down."

I sat down beside him on the comfiest rock I could see. The warm rays of sunshine almost immediately hit me, and I turned towards the golden sunset. Ian smiled.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "I bet you get a lot of these out west."

Ian nodded. "Almost makes the nights at camp seem bearable."

I turned to him. "Seriously, I live like ten minutes from the beach, and I had no idea it could possibly get so cold. I guess you learn something new every day."

He smiled. "Just out of curiosity, Brendan, is he like that...?"

"Pretty much all the time," I nodded. "He's at his best in front of an audience, but I don't think we could get by without him."

"I kinda figured."

There was a contented silence as we sat together, almost like a conversation in itself. Finally, he turned to me and said, "Can I ask you, what's it like?"

"Being a Ranger?"

"Yeah."

"It's not that different to being a regular kid," I replied. "Homework, chores, school, find whatever's eating downtown _this_ week and kill it. You know, the usual."

Ian smiled. "Is it, I don't know how else to say it, complicated?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't make life any easier, but you do see things differently," I replied. "Life just gets bigger, I guess. I'd be lying if I said it didn't change you."

He nodded. "Like being able to crack through stone with your fists?"

"You know, I've busted my communicator so many times that way."

We both smiled and laughed at that, and turned back to watch the sunset. After a short while, though, he turned back to me and tapped me on the shoulder.

"This is probably going to sound like a stupid question," he began, "but is it dangerous?"

I didn't reply at first, unable to think of anything that wouldn't sound either callous or frightening. Finally, remembering what Teresa had said earlier, I turned to him and nodded. "I'm gonna be honest - it can be pretty scary," I said. "Every time you put on that uniform, and even when you don't, there's a good chance you might get hurt."

Ian sat back. That made sense, after all, but he was ashamed to admit that he hadn't really thought about that at all.

"So," he began, "if there's that much risk, then why do it?"

I turned to him and spoke levelly. "Because somebody has to. And apparently," I added with a smile, "I have a knack for it."

* * *

The sliding doors opened with a dramatic 'swoosh', and everyone in the Central Chamber turned to see Ian and I striding into the room. I quickly stepped over to the side of the room, while Ian continued on towards Zordon's plasma tube. Jason turned to me with a raised brow, and I nodded. Suspicions confirmed, he smiled and looked back to Ian.

Stopping in the centre of the room, Ian glanced around the group, and spoke. "I want to do this," he said, and we all let out the breath we'd been holding in. "I know it's dangerous, and I know that I might, well, suck at it. But c'mon, you're the Power Rangers," and he grinned. "How on Earth can I say no?"

Zordon fairly beamed. "Excellent," he said. "That was a brave decision, and I commend you for it. Alpha," and here Alpha stepped forward, holding a small silver box, "please present Ian with the Grey Power Coin."

Alpha nodded and set the box down. Flipping open the lid, Alpha picked up the glowing coin and dropped it lightly into Ian's waiting hands. Almost immediately the glare from the coin began to soften, and Ian held it up wonderingly. The light suggested incredible heat, but the coin was cool to touch.

"Just as I suspected," nodded Zordon. "The power, Ian, is yours to command. Alpha, a morpher if you will?"

Ian felt somebody tapping him on the shoulder, and turned around. Alpha stood behind him, a small circular device in his hand. "This is your morpher," explained the robot. He took the coin with one hand and placed it carefully into the device. "With it, you'll be able to morph into the Grey Ranger."

Ian smiled, never taking his eyes off the golden coin. "How do I use it?"

"Just hold it out, and call the name of your chosen dinosaur," Alpha replied.

Billy stepped forward, handing Ian a familiar metallic arm bracelet. "Your communicator," he said, strapping the band around Ian's right wrist. "It will allow you instantaneous teleportation to any location you wish, as well as enabling you to stay in contact with the other Rangers and the Command Centre itself."

Ian nodded. "Thanks," he said, then looked back to his Power Coin. The light had by now faded significantly, and he was able to make out the design carved on the coin. Three small wedge-shaped triangles faced away from a fourth triangle, the fourth twice as large as the other three.

"Zordon?" he asked. "What does the symbol on my coin mean?"

"It is the symbol of your dinosaur," Zordon replied, "the handprint of the Iguanodon. The large triangle is the dinosaur's thumb-claw, a feature for which the Iguanodon is famous. And that brings me to my next point..."

A tall hologram suddenly appeared in the air before Ian, the image of a grey dinosaurian-shaped robot. _My zord_...

"This is your zord, the Iguanodon," confirmed Zordon. "Even as we speak, the zord is being modified to be compatible with the other dinozords. The Iguanodon is a powerful fighting machine, and will serve you well. Finally," and the hologram disappeared, replaced by an image of two hand guns that looked very familiar to the rest of us. "Your Power Blasters. They are your personal weapons, to be summoned at will."

"Whoa," Ian murmured. He reached out to touch the holograms but they disappeared, and he looked back up to Zordon. "Is that all? Is there anything else I need to know?"

Zordon smiled. "Just take your lead from the other Rangers, and you'll be fine."

With that, Jason and I came forward, and put our arms around Ian's shoulders. He quickly turned around and faced the rest of the team.

"Welcome to the team," I said. "It's good to have you."

"You'll do fine," nodded Jason with a warm smile.

"Thanks," Ian replied. "I'm still not sure this is all really happened yet, though."

Sarah smiled. "Whenever your brain catches up with the rest of you, we'll be here."

"My Rangers," began Zordon, and all twelve of us looked up to him. "You have no idea what it means seeing you twelve standing here before me. What more can I say? At long last the team is complete. You twelve will stand against evil wherever it may lurk, and protect the innocent from the forces of shadow across the galaxy. Your exploits will become legend. I cannot predict the future, but I know destiny when I see it." He paused impressively, and glanced around the room. "This is indeed a great day Power Rangers, for you and for the world."

There was a second of awed silence, as we all took in what Zordon had said. Finally, the sage said quietly, "Rangers, I'm afraid it's getting quite late. I think now would be a good time to return."

Teresa looked at her watch and nodded. "Yeah, we'd better get back before we're missed."

We all turned and said our goodbyes. "I'll see you in a couple of days," I said to Jason.

"You'll be all right," he said, then grinned and playfully messed up my hair. "Just try to enjoy yourself, you might be surprised. And take care of Ian."

I nodded, and stepped back to where the other Rangers were standing. Ian was still looking around the room in wonder, but everyone else waved goodbye to Alpha, Zordon and the older teens, before lightly tapping the top button on our communicators and disappearing in six bright flashes of light.

* * *

We made it back to camp and found everyone still enjoying the afternoon's free time, so for the most part, we hadn't been missed. We all headed over to the soccer field where a still shell-shocked Ian explained to Lochlan that one of the camp staff had sent him on an errand for the last hour. Lochlan nodded and welcomed his friend back into the game, and the rest of us joined the Currimundi side, making me the goal keeper since I tended to be dangerous on any field of play.

Dinner was served in the food hall about an hour later, and it was some unremarkable glob that was supposed to be spaghetti and meatballs. Everybody sat around the table in silence, watching as Ian slowly ate his meal, his eyes distant and unfocussed. After sculpting his meal into a miniature Gluk, Brendan grinned and subtly pitched one of his meatballs at Ian, using his fork as a catapult. Looking up suddenly and seeing our concern, the new Grey Ranger smiled and laughed, and from that point on, we were okay.

After dinner, everyone was told to gather in the main hall for Games Night. From my memory of the night, I recall that the games involved loud music from the stereo system and a lot of running around and tackling people whenever they got out. We were never actually sure what you did in order to get out, but whatever it was, it was loud and violent and, obviously, fun. About halfway through the night, I got involved in a friendly rivalry with Mr Potter, so when I did whatever it was that got me out, naturally, Mr Potter charged towards me with a gleeful grin, arms outstretched.

Have you ever stood by a railway crossing and watched as a twenty-tonne freight train comes thundering straight towards you, like some kind of unstoppable juggernaut? In that brief slice of time, it felt like I was right there on the tracks - and it was then that Mr Potter smashed into me, lifting me off my feet and crashing to the ground on top of me. I lay there on the floor panting and dazed, certain all my ribs had snapped like match-sticks, but the jovial teacher soon pulled me to my feet.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "Fine. Who needs a rib cage, anyway?"

He grinned and dived back into the crowd, searching out new victims. Really not wanting to be one, I decided to sit the game out, and turned to the mural wall. Seeing Ian alone in the corner, I walked over and sat down beside him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked quietly, as he turned to me. "I mean, big day and all."

He nodded. "Yeah, you know what? I really am," he replied. "I just keep getting tangled in my thoughts. Like, what if I'm terrible at it, you know? How can you prepare yourself for something you won't know until it's trying to stand on your head?"

I smiled. "Trust me, you're not going to be any worse than we were. I've honestly lost count of the number of times the Seniors had to bail us out of trouble. In fact the _worst_ thing I could probably do would be to try and give you advice."

"Really?"

"Heck yeah. But Tommy seems to like you, and that's the first step." I paused, and smiled. "You're gonna be fine. We all look out for each other, and c'mon. I saw you yesterday at SeaWorld. You're already halfway there."

"Thanks," he replied. "It's just that there's more to it than I always thought. This morning I woke up as a regular eleven-year-old kid, and tomorrow morning when I wake up, I'll be a Power Ranger. It's just a big jump, that's all."

I could remember the feeling well. "Jason said something to me once," I said, "that no matter how hard we try, we always end up where we're supposed to be regardless. Now c'mon," and I stood up, "we're going and getting something that will make all this seem downright frivolous."

"And that would be...?" he asked, climbing to his feet.

"Two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. Four, in fact. I'm feeling thirsty."

He laughed. "You know what? That's the best thing I've heard all day."


	6. Chapter 5

Koalugirl -- of course I'm not sick of reading your reviews, I'm happy you're enjoying the story. Yeah, the big thing about Ian is he knows exactly what he's getting himself into, whereas the rest of the team just jumped right in head-first. And yes, once everybody goes home at the end of the week (at the end of the story, heh), Ian will be in a different town to everybody. But... I plan to sort that out in the seventh story in the series, so stick around :).

**Chapter Five**

An earsplitting screech burst through my subconscious, shattering any illusion of sleep and forcing my eyes open. Briefly wondering where the heck I was and what on Earth was making that noise, my sleep-fogged mind soon put the pieces together - camp, morning, beach run, whistle. _Right_. Lying on my side, I could see out the front windows of the cabin to where Mr Chamberlain stood on the grass, whistle in mouth with kids already gathering around him. Groaning, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the bunk above me.

"You know," I said, "before the end of this week I am going to steal that whistle and ram it someplace _very_ unpleasant."

Eyes closed but long since awake, Scott couldn't help but smile and laugh. "Hey, I'd pay good money to see that."

"Don't encourage me, I might actually do it," I replied, peeling back my sleeping bag and hopping out of the bunk.

Everyone else in the cabin was wide awake by now too, and with much yawning, were slowly climbing out of their bunks, putting their running clothes on and heading outside. By the time I finally forced Scott out of his sleeping bag, however, the two of us were the only people left inside.

I pulled on a pair of tracksuit pants and a jumper, and reached for my jogging shoes. The thought of emptying sand from my shoes for the rest of the day wasn't encouraging, but I'd certainly prefer that to the icy-cold sand.

"Ah, early morning fun in the sun," grinned Scott, as we finished pulling our shoes on.

I stood up and headed for the door. "Why Scott, you almost sound less than ecstatic," I grinned. "I think we need an infusion of fun as soon as possible."

Scott laughed, and we went outside to find Teresa, Sarah and Brendan patiently waiting for us with Ian standing nearby. The two of us had taken longer to get ready than we'd thought - everyone else had already left for the beach, and the tail end of the group was just passing by.

"Finally," said Sarah. "Take your time guys."

Teresa grinned. "We had to leave the two sleepaholics together, didn't we?"

"Leave us alone," said Scott good-naturedly, as we all joined the group heading down to the beach. "It's too early to get picked on by my own sister."

Brendan looked up and around. "I'll do it then," he offered. "Free of charge."

We all laughed. "So Ian," Scott said, "how you holding up?"

"Pretty good," Ian replied, then added with a smile, "I'm still expecting to wake up any minute now, though, and I really had to think up some good excuses when the guys asked me about yesterday afternoon."

"You'll get used to it," nodded Sarah. "Heck, it took us a month to get over the shock."

"Yeah," agreed Teresa. "It's going to feel bad having to lie to your friends and family, but it's just the downside of having a secret identity that nobody ever mentions. Don't worry - it gets easier in time."

Ian nodded. "I hope so," he replied.

Brendan slung his arm around Ian's shoulders. "So don't worry about it. You're in good company."

By now, we'd made it onto the beach and had begun to jog. It was low-tide, and the beach was wide, flat and empty. The blue-green seawater was gently lapping onto the sand, and the smell of salt was strong in the air.

"Besides," continued Brendan, "if that whistle didn't wake you up this morning, then nothing will."

* * *

High above Tallebudgera Beach in the Lunar Palace, Rita Repulsa sat back on her throne, deep in thought. Despite the botched surveillance mission she'd sent the putty patrol on yesterday afternoon, she still had no idea why five of her most hated enemies were in the company of the blond youth. Finster had earlier told her that he was detecting a powerful energy field around the boy, almost as if he was carrying his own Power Coin. But the more Rita thought about it, the more it made no sense. After all, the only coin still in existence that wasn't already in use was...

_Oh no_...

The witch was already reaching for her wand. "Finster!"

* * *

Once on the open beach, the huge group of students began to stretch out. The faster, more athletic students took the lead, while the less athletically-minded people, who really weren't worried by a race along the beach, fell to the back. The six of us found ourselves more or less in the middle, talking and jogging at a comfortable pace, when it happened.

Without warning, about fifty metres ahead of the leading kids came a sudden, massive explosion, which sent a huge cloud of dust and smoke high into the air and froze everyone on the spot. A second later, we all caught sight of a tall dark figure emerging from the cloud, and everyone on the beach gasped and took a fearful step back. Approaching us with slow deliberate steps, we immediately recognised it as one of Rita's creatures.

The aquatic-looking monster stalking towards us was covered from head to toe in black scales, with orange stomach plates, gauntlets and boots. Both muscled, scaly arms ended in webbed hands with shining white claws, and on its head the monster had two large black fins where its ears should have been, as well as a small orange fin atop its skull. Two fierce red eyes peered down over a mouth lined with jagged, white teeth.

"Good morning," the monster announced, in a gravelly, throaty voice, the kind of sound you'd hear 20,000 leagues into your nightmares. "I'm Pisces, and you're breakfast!"

Screams of terror immediately rang out, and teachers and students alike turned and ran for their lives back towards the campsite and away from the monster.

Amid the chaos, I glanced around desperately, looking for a place to morph. The Seniors wouldn't have hesitated, not when something like this was happening, and neither would we.

"Guys," I said quickly, "follow me."

Leading the Rangers, I dashed across the beach up towards the sand dunes, and dived over into a small gully on the other side, the others doing the same behind me. On one side of us was a tall wooden fence, while on the other side the high dunes shielded us from view.

"All right, this should do," I said, and turned to Ian. "This is it man. You ready?"

The Grey Ranger nodded uncertainly. "Ready as I can be," he replied.

"Awesome," I nodded, and we all reached for our back pockets. "It's morphin' time!"

"Iguanodon!"

"Dilophosaurus!"

"Rhamphorynchus!"

"Brontosaurus!"

"Velociraptor!"

"Stegosaurus!"

* * *

The monster grinned a wicked smile as he watched the people on the beach fleeing to safety. 'Nothing like a bit of mayhem and death to start the morning,' he thought, laughing to himself as he quickened his pace along the sand.

"Hold it right there," came a sudden, angry voice. Pisces looked up, scanned the abandoned beach for the interruption and saw six Power Rangers standing side-by-side across the sand ahead of him. Regarding us, the monster's brow lowered, and he stepped back with a frown.

"Six?" he began. "Interesting. I was not told of a sixth."

I smiled, standing beside Ian. "Oh you like surprises? Well then you're in luck."

"Yeah," agreed Sarah, pointing her Power Mace at the beast. "You better back off right now if you don't want to have a really lousy start to the day."

Pisces sneered. "Please," he growled. "Five, six or a hundred, you mean nothing." With that, he raised his arms, and as lightning began to crackle around him, bolts arched from his fingertips down to the sand. Instantly, six shapes began rising out of the ground. "Sand demons, attack and destroy!"

The six sand demons were soon fully formed, standing tall on the beach with red eyes and sneering grimaces, their muscled frames streaked with white and dark sand. Growling menacingly, the sand beasts advanced towards us.

I turned to the Rangers. "Let's take these freaks!"

"Right!" And we all turned and raced across the sand towards our opponents.

Scott immediately leaped into the air, holding out his arms and summoning his Power Staff with a thought. Plowing his boots into the sand demon's chest, he knocked the beast off its feet and took it to the ground, and without missing a beat, the Blue Ranger spun his staff and rammed it down through the demon's chest - the sand creature instantly dissipated, and Scott dropped to the ground, triumphant.

Taking confidence from Scott's effortless victory, Ian charged forward to meet his opponent, ducking under a vicious swipe before spinning around and sending the demon stumbling with a kick to the chest, surprised at the distance the demon covered from what felt like a light kick. Springing forward, he blocked a punch and ended the battle with a powerful judo chop that sent the beast's head flying across the beach and landing in the surf with a satisfying 'splash'.

Behind him, Teresa had wordlessly summoned her Power Whip, and with nothing more than a flick of her wrist, she decapitated her sandy opponent, before wrapping the trailing end of the whip around the beast's torso and flinging him to the ground, the force reducing the rest of him to dust in seconds.

A few metres away, Brendan raced towards one of the demons with a battle-hardened grin. As he approached, the creature lashed out with a roundhouse punch - Brendan dived under the blow, and without slowing down rolled to his feet and rammed his foot back through the demon's stomach. Despite the gaping hole in its torso, the sand demon spun around angrily, but never even saw the lightning-fast heel which smashed into its jaw and immediately reduced the creature to a harmless pile of sand at Brendan's feet.

As one of the beasts lumbered towards Sarah, the Purple Ranger leaped into the air, lightly somersaulting over the confused sand demon. Landing and catching her balance, Sarah spun around and sent her opponent stumbling with a blow to the shoulder, before taking her mace right through the creature's chest. The sand demon froze for a brief second, before a high jump kick sent both halves to the ground where they immediately disintegrated.

As the battle raged around me, I thundered towards the sole sand demon remaining. Without slowing down, I sprang into the air and hurtled towards the beast, smashing my boot into the demon's chest. The sand demon instantly exploded in a cloud of sand and dust, and I dropped to the ground in front of Pisces with a grunt of primal satisfaction. Their own opponents defeated, the other five Rangers quickly joined me.

"Well," said Brendan. "That was almost hard."

I nodded. "You'll have to try harder than that, fishface."

"Be careful what you wish for," Pisces sneered, "because you just might get it!" With that, he raised his arms and sent a massive energy barrage spiralling towards us. The first time he'd ever been shot at, Ian reacted the only way he could, immediately diving forward out of harm's way, but was pleased to see out of the sides of his visor that the rest of the team had done the same.

Rolling to a stop and leaping to our feet, the team immediately went on the offensive, charging forward and moving together without speaking, without even thinking. Scott and Teresa reached the creature first, and struck him back with two side-by-side tornado kicks. Pisces stumbled backwards but recovered quickly, charging back towards the Blue and White Rangers and lashing out with both clawed hands. Teresa caught the beast's arms and brushed them aside, before dazing him with a spinning roundhouse kick. Pisces regained his footing and lashed out at the approaching Blue Ranger - Scott ducked under the swipe, spun low and took Pisces' legs out from under him, sending the monster crashing to the ground.

Pisces had soon rolled back to his feet, but Brendan and Sarah charged forward to take up the attack, Sarah launching a high kick and Brendan throwing a powerful right backhand, both attacks finding their mark. Pisces shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears and launched himself at Sarah, the closest target. The Purple Ranger easily sidestepped the monster, blocking his fists as he followed after her, and an elbow to the jaw sent Pisces stumbling back towards Brendan, who ducked an attack, blocked a second blow and sent the creature crashing with a high spin kick.

"Good work guys!" I said, and motioned to Ian, standing beside me, "let's get in there!"

Even as Pisces was regaining his footing, the two of us were racing forward. Pisces roared and aimed both claws for the Grey Ranger, but Ian ducked under the beast's fists before pummeling the monster's scaly underbelly. Staggering back from the assault, Pisces had no chance to defend himself as I leaped towards him with a roundhouse right punch, before spinning on the spot and sending him back with a spin kick to the chest. I turned back to Ian and nodded - he paused for a second, looking at the monster, and racing forward, he leaped into the air and smashed the monster back with a powerful scissor-kick that launched him right off his feet. Pisces hit the ground in a cloud of sand, rolling to a stop and moving no further.

Ian dropped to the ground and found his footing, as the rest of us joined him.

"Wow man," said Brendan, racing up to Ian and slapping the Grey Ranger on the back, "that was awesome!"

"Yeah, you're a natural," nodded Teresa.

"Thanks," he replied, out of breath from the fight.

"We've never defeated one that easily before," I said. "That was incredible. Good work, everybody."

Ian laughed, happy that his first battle had been a success. "What a rush," he smiled.

* * *

Thousands of kilometres above us, watching the battle from a unique vantage point, a certain evil witch in a certain lunar palace was not happy at the sudden turn of events. Not at all.

"Pisces shall not be defeated that easily Rangers!" cried Rita, and she stood to her full height and raised her wand.

Behind her, Baboo cringed and turned away. "Here we go again," the henchman muttered, shaking his head.

"Grow, Pisces, grow!"

Ignoring the impressive lightning display that followed, Baboo turned to Squatt. "Are you hungry? I don't know about you, but I could really go for some seafood right about now..."

* * *

We stood congratulating Ian for fighting so well only a few seconds longer before lightning bolts struck down from a suddenly-cloudy sky, dancing off waves, dunes and nearby beach houses and throwing up huge clouds of sand and dust. Several bolts from the supernatural light show forked through the air towards the fallen body of Pisces, and with a sudden explosion, the rejuvenated monster was standing fifteen storeys tall, towering over us on the beach and laughing.

We all immediately jumped back. "Whoa," said Sarah. "Guys, big problem."

Staring up at the giant monster, Ian finally found his voice. "I, uh, take it this is a common occurrence...?"

Brendan nodded. "This is a pretty typical day at the office." He turned to me. "You up for it?"

"You had to ask?" I replied with a smile, then lifted my right arm to the sky and raised by my voice. "I call upon the Stegosaurus Dinozord, now!"

Several kilometres inland, in an out-of-the-way place, the ground immediately began to shake, soon crumbling and splitting apart as the mighty Stegozord exploded forth with a roar. Sheathed in orange and silver armour, the zord's body angled downwards from its longer back legs to shorter forelimbs, and its tail and silver spikes swung through the air behind it as the zord thundered towards the coast. The head of the zord was triangular, glowing yellow eyes above a pointed, orange beak.

Brendan grinned beneath his visor. "Dilophosaurus Dinozord power!"

The awesome Dilophozord immediately rose from the earth behind the Stegozord. Standing easily as tall as a fifteen storey building on its powerful hind legs and three-clawed feet, the zord looked no worse for wear from Brendan's recent power conversion, its aqua and silver armour shining in the early morning sunshine and red eyes glowing under the thin double-crest that adorned the zord's head.

Scott immediately followed suit. "Brontosaurus Dinozord power!"

Following the Dilophozord, the Brontozord surfaced from the depths, its small head and long, thick neck rising into view first, followed by the sturdy, massive body, long tapering tail, four thick legs and clawed feet. The blue zord's armour fairly sparkled as the mammoth Brontozord roared and began its faithful trek inland.

Teresa raised her right arm to the sky. "Velociraptor Dinozord power!"

With that, the fierce Velociraptor zord sprang out of the ground with a powerful leap, every bit as sure-footed and nimble as its namesake. With a low, thick body, long thin tail, powerful hind legs with their trademark giant claw on either foot, thin clawed hands and jaws of triangular teeth, the Raptor was an amazing and, just occasionally, terrifying sight.

Sarah stepped forward. "Rhamphorynchus Dinozord power!"

With an ear-splitting screech, the Rhamphorynchus shot straight up from the ground like a rocket, leveling out and gliding through the air towards us. Two yellow eyes sat on either side of a long purple beak, and the zord's angular wings, silver claws, aerodynamic body and long thin tail cast a wide shadow over the ground as the zord coasted towards the city.

"Whoa," murmured Ian, staring at the five mechanised beasts charging towards us and feeling like he was witnessing at least five of the seven wonders of the world. Standing beside him, Brendan grinned and subtly elbowed Ian in the ribs.

"Huh? Oh, erm, r-right," he stuttered, blushing beneath his helmet. "Iguanodon Dinozord power!"

The earth the five dinozords had risen from began trembling even more violently, and in a blaze of fire and smoke, the massive Iguanodon slowly rose from the depths of the Earth to greet the new age. Its red eyes flickered and flashed to life, while inside the zord, interior systems automatically switched on and computer systems began warming up. Finally awake after centuries of sleep, the Iguanodon threw back its head and bellowed, before taking its first steps towards us, the ground shaking with every step from the zord's massive three-toed feet.

"Wow," the Grey Ranger muttered.

As tall as our giant opponent on thick, sturdy legs, the zord was covered in silver and black armour plating, with a long thick tail hanging close to the ground and two powerful forearms, each one ending in four clawed fingers as well as the zord's famed thumb-claw. The mechanised beast's red eyes sat above a rounded snout, and the Iguanodon's chestplate was black and t-shaped, a golden sphere in the centre showing the zord's stylised hand-print symbol.

"All right guys, let's go!" I cried, and the six of us teleported into our approaching zords. "Rangers, log on!"

"Brendan here, ready to rock!"

"Scott here, all systems go."

"Teresa here, let's fry this fish!"

"Anyone brought the tartare sauce?"

I laughed, and typed a command into the computer. "Ian, you with us?"

"Yep," Ian replied. Situated in the zord's head, the Iguanodon's cockpit was identical to ours except for the grey colour scheme, roomy and air-conditioned with a large viewscreen set at the front. "I guess I can work out what everything does," he continued, glancing over the bevy of controls, blinking lights and buttons on the panel before him. "As strange as it sounds, I think I already know."

"You know what they say," said Scott. "Nothing beats on the job experience."

Pisces had dismissed the approaching zords and turned his attention to the row of houses and shops that bordered Tallebudgera Beach. Using his massive power upgrade, he'd begun blasting away to his heart's content, but had only made it through two buildings before the ground began shaking, and the monster looked up to see the six zords powering through the city towards him.

"Well," the monster rumbled, turning as the zords made it onto the wide abandoned beach, the Rhamphorynchus circling high above. "Power Rangers. I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Glad to oblige," I said. "Scott, Teresa, fire!"

Inside the Brontozord and the Velociraptor, the Blue and White Rangers nodded, and the two zords charged forward. On the Brontozord, two massive cannons rolled out of the zord's sides and began blasting, while beside it, the Velociraptor aimed high and fired its arsenal of laser bolts and guided rockets. Both zords found their target, and Pisces roared in anger as the blasts forced him backwards in a cloud of sparks and fire. Recovering from the assault, the monster thundered back out of the smoke cloud towards us, each footstep causing small tremors and throwing up huge clouds of sand.

"Peter, cover me," said Teresa. "I'm going in."

I nodded and steered the Stegozord into position beside the Brontozord, fireballs launching from the zord's mouth as a similar set of side cannons folded out from the zord's flanks. Avoiding our fire, the Raptor darted across the beach towards Pisces, leaping lightly into the air and flying towards the monster. Latching onto Pisces' chest armour with its claws, the zord began slashing away at the monster's stomach armour with its hind legs.

Pisces roared and smashed his fists against the zord, throwing the Velociraptor to the ground and wiping out several buildings as the zord rolled to a stop in a cloud of dust and debris. Turning to Scott and I, the monster raised his arm and sent a massive energy blast spiralling towards the Brontozord and Stegozord, and we quickly pulled our zords back.

Sparks rained down on me in the cockpit as I reached for the radio. "Brendan!"

"On it," came the reply. With a roar of battle, the Dilophozord cleared the streets and houses below and lightly touched down on the beach, immediately lashing out for the monster. Pisces stepped around the move and struck the zord a glancing blow to the side of the head. The Dilophozord roared and sent the fish monster stumbling back with a low kick, before stepping forward and raking its claws across Pisces' stomach armour. The monster staggered backwards across the sand in a cloud of smoke, but regaining his footing, Pisces charged forward, leaped into the air and smashed both armoured boots into the zord's chestplate, the force of the blow sending the Dilophozord crashing back over the rocks at the end of the beach and down into Tallebudgera Creek with a huge splash.

Grinning with triumph, Pisces turned back to face any remaining opponents, and literally found himself face-to-face with a giant silver Iguanodon.

"Those are my friends," said Ian.

The Iguanodon's right heel suddenly smashed into Pisces' jaw with continent-shattering force, launching the monster backwards, before spinning around and cracking its tail across the back of Pisces' skull. Dazed but still standing, the monster roared angrily and lashed out at the approaching zord with outstretched arms. Ian was ready - the zord blocked the beast's arms, brushing them aside and slamming Pisces back with a blow to his chest, before a low kick and powerful left backhand sent the beast to the ground with an almighty crash.

Pisces rolled to a stop and slowly climbed to his feet, but while he'd been fighting the Iguanodon the rest of us had recovered, and the zords now stood lined up on the beach.

Brendan moved first. "I'll have my fish deep-fried," he said, and a huge jet of orange flame roared from the Dilophozord's mouth, forcing the monster back in a shower of sparks and smoke. Before Pisces had the chance to retaliate, Scott, Teresa and I opened fire, and the monster's chest armour erupted in sparks and flame as he crashed to the ground in a cloud of sand and smoke.

"Sarah," I called, looking up to the purple Rhamphorynchus that had been busy extinguishing the fires from Pisces' earlier destruction but was now circling high above, "he's all yours. Take him out."

In the Rhamphorynchus cockpit, Sarah smiled. "About time. You're seafood pal!" And aiming for the downed monster, she pulled the zord into a downward plunge, cruising straight towards Pisces like a guided missile. As the zord fell, a shining energy field began forming around the zord's body and wings. Only two hundred feet above the ground, the zord suddenly pulled back into an ascent - the energy field continued travelling, and smashed into the monster with earth-shaking force, instantly obliterating Pisces in a massive explosion that lit up the beach and sent an orange and red fireball roaring skyward.

"Nice shot," said Ian, sitting back in his seat. "Wow. My first zord fight."

Sarah smiled. "Thanks. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."

"Yeah, you did really well," I said, turning the Stegozord to face the Iguanodon.

"I'm not worried about _that_," Ian replied. "I just don't know whether to think, 'that could've gone so badly and Pisces could've destroyed the city,' or think 'sweet mercy that was _awesome_'."

Brendan laughed. "Go with the second one. It helps."

"Good work anyway, everyone," I said. "Now let's demorph and head back. I think we've definitely earned our breakfast this morning..."


	7. Chapter 6

Author's notes – thanks for reading :). At the chapter's end, there's a reference to a black suit – you'll know it when you get to it – that is just a tiny reference to another series of stories featuring the same characters but independent of these stories, I just haven't written that series yet. Enjoy :).

Koula girl -- thanks again for the feedback :). My favourite zord battles were the ones where the zords all fought individually, so I figured I had to include at least one zord battle like that. 

**Chapter Six**

We teleported back into camp as the zords all returned to their underground hiding places, landing out of sight behind the main hall. Demorphing, we all ducked through the rear entrance of the building, the teacher's quarters, and slipped into the main hall to join the group. Luckily, we hadn't been missed during the chaos after the ambush on the beach. The all-clear was called about five minutes after we returned, and not surprisingly, the camp staff decided to have breakfast half an hour early rather than complete the morning run.

However, the fight pretty much killed the camp program for the rest of the morning. A team of several dozen doctors and nurses were called to the campsite to give every kid a thorough check-up, before the camp staff phoned both Goondiwindi and Currimundi State Primary Schools to ease the concern of hundreds of worried parents. By the time the camp had dealt with the press, it was one o'clock in the afternoon, so we were given lunch and told the camp program had skipped forward to deal with the extraordinary circumstances. For our group, this meant a walk across Tallebudgera Creek and hike around Mt Burleigh, followed by a study of the rockpools on the beach around the northern side of the peak.

Sarah, Scott, Teresa, Brendan and I walked together, following the mountain trail and enjoying the picturesque scenery. Once around the mountain, Mrs Manderson tried to organise everyone into some kind of rockpool study, but it wasn't meant to be, and we spent the afternoon wading and exploring the pools on the beach. I have to admit I find rockpools fascinating - they're like naturally-formed aquariums, with darting fish, rows of seaweed and tiny hermit crabs.

Needless to say, both Brendan and Scott teased me all afternoon about it, until I lured them close enough to thoroughly drench the pair of them - the resulting water fight ended up involving the whole group. Soaking wet but happily laughing, we all marched back to camp late that afternoon. Dinner was a subdued afraid, and after returning the book I'd borrowed from the camp library, I went to bed early and slept soundly.

The next morning saw a much more relaxing start to the day, with no fifteen-storey monsters in sight. It was 'sleep in' morning, which meant there were no loud whistles forcing us out of bed and no forced runs on the beach, to the delight of over a hundred and fifty tired kids. After the battle yesterday morning, Scott and I slept as long as possible, not even stirring when the other kids in the cabin began to move around and almost missing breakfast.

By the time the groups all assembled in the main hall, we were all awake. For the Muddies, today's activities included a stroll down to the beach for some fishing (as well as burying Brendan so far in the sand that only his head protruded, and threats of dismemberment if we didn't dig him out again), followed by a trip to Tallebudgera Creek after lunch for an afternoon of sailing. The day was pleasant and uneventful, particularly considering the daily attacks at the start of the week. Not that the six of us minded one bit.

* * *

However, as we all later found out, back home in Caloundra things were anything but peace and quiet. The Power Rangers' battle with Pisces on Tallebudgera Beach had confirmed what the international press living in Caloundra had began to suspect during the attack at SeaWorld - the Junior Team of Power Rangers were in fact a group of eleven-year-old sixth grade students from Currimundi State Primary School. The link with the school itself was old news, but the specific age that identified the superheroes was certainly not. 

The fact that there was also suddenly a Grey Ranger, complete with his own zord, did nothing to hamper the media circus.

The Bureau of Supernatural Events, the department of Caloundra City Council specifically designed to report to the rest of the world the public activities of the Power Rangers, had been swamped with calls from journalists all day. Around lunchtime, the Mayor of Goondiwindi called on behalf of the parents and teachers of the city, and was put on hold for twenty minutes as the office workers tried desperately to think of something to say to him that wouldn't give the poor man a heart attack. "Why yes, this happens all the time and we generally just let the Rangers sort it out," wasn't considered a viable option.

But again - as Scott had said earlier in the week, one of the coolest things about camp was the fact we didn't have to worry about it. We had the week to ourselves, to laugh, do nothing and be kids. And we were happier for it.

* * *

After the day's activities, everyone was pretty tired by the time dinner was served, and the macaroni and cheese we were offered was eaten with less than the usual noise and enthusiasm you'd expect from more than a hundred kids. Still, the pasta tasted delicious (despite the fact that Brendan says I'm biased towards anything Italian. Actually, I am, but that's neither here nor there), and the ice cream and apple pie we had for dessert were pretty good too. 

After dinner, everyone just wandered around and chatted with their friends. At Mr Burgess' request, the camp staff rigged up a large wide-screen television in the main building to catch an important game of rugby being played somewhere in the country that night. It wasn't long before heaps of kids had grabbed pillows and blankets from their bunks and sat down to watch.

Sarah and Teresa decided to join everyone in the main hall, while Ian and Brendan accepted a challenge from Petey and Luke to several rounds of Scrabble in the library. Realising those games would probably get all four of them forcibly evicted and banned from ever going near the place again, Scott and I decided to find a quiet spot behind our cabin, relax with some hot chocolate, and count the stars.

"Hey," said Scott with a smile, as I rounded the corner of the cabin, went over to where he was sitting and happily accepted the mug of hot chocolate he offered me. "What kept you? I've been here for ages."

"I went to take a shower," I replied, sitting on the grass with my back to the cabin and slowly sipping the chocolate milk, taking my time and feeling the warmth spread right down to my toes.

"Oh good, I'm glad to hear your attitude towards bathing on camp has changed," he grinned, reminding me of last year's camp where I went for a whole three days without taking a bath. "Although I'm almost afraid to ask - shower block?"

"No, the locker room in the Command Centre."

He stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing. "You prude!"

I blushed. "I am not," I replied indignantly. "It's just that camp showers are always so dirty and slimy..."

"Yeah, whatever," he said, and then smiled. "Prude."

I pouted, but couldn't help myself and was soon laughing with him. "Yeah, well, it _is_ the one place on Earth where I get total privacy."

Scott smiled, taking a slow drink of chocolate, before looking up. "Next time, ask Alpha to heat your towel before you're finished."

I turned to him. "They can do that?"

"Yep. So worth it."

I smiled, took another drink, and leaned back against the wall. Staring up to the heavens, I began naming the constellations and planets I could see, and it was only after I'd began following the Milky Way with my eyes that I suddenly felt small. And given I pilot a zord, feeling small is pretty daunting. Turning away from the million points of light, I looked over to my best friend and broke the silence.

"Can you remember at the start of the year when we were all at Sarah's birthday party?" I asked.

Scott smiled. "Chocolate ice-cream cake. It was a good party."

I laughed. "And we were sitting there in Sarah's backyard, staring up at the stars and wondering just how big the Universe was." I paused, and shook my head. "If we'd even begun to imagine where we'd be in six months, and just how big the Universe would get."

"I know what you mean," nodded Scott, turning to me. "I used to think that, you know, America and Europe were faraway, but now..." He looked up, scanning the heavens with his eyes and searching for the star Billy had pointed out to him. "Somewhere up there, in the millions of miles of empty space, the desert planet Nerimos is orbiting a tiny yellow star. No-one on Earth has even heard of the place, much less walked on its surface - but we have, you know?"

I nodded. "All those stars, can you imagine how many planets must be up there?"

"A million and one worlds to explore," he said softly. "All with monsters that need fighting and people who need our help. There has to be heroes, after all."

I looked back to the stars. Something Ian had said a few days ago came back into my mind. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

I opened my mouth to reply, but stopped, confused.

He laughed, his dark eyes twinkling in the low light. "Go ahead."

I shook my head. "Well, what I was going to ask is, do you ever get scared?"

He paused, then nodded. "Every time," he replied. "Every time I'm facing down something with glowing eyes, a bad attitude and way too many teeth. And not always for us, I mean, it's scary thinking about the people behind us who aren't invulnerable and don't have zords to retreat to." He turned to me. "Do you think the Seniors ever get scared?"

"They probably used to," I said. "But I just can't imagine it now. They're all so confident, I mean, they always seem to know exactly what they're doing. Jason in particular, I don't know how he does it."

"They've probably fought all these battles before," Scott said. "And given how long they've been doing this, they must be doing something right." He paused. "What about you? Is it scary being the leader? That you just got given a golden coin and told to lead us into battle once a week and make sure everybody's still standing when the smoke clears?"

I frowned. "Well if it wasn't before, it is now," I replied, and Scott laughed. "Seriously, it is a little freaky. I wish I knew what I was doing half the time. I just make decisions, hope I get them right and try not to think about what happens if I get them wrong. I trust you guys though, and I know whatever we're facing, we'll be standing together. Besides, I couldn't order you guys to jump through hoops on command even if I wanted to."

"Because we'd launch you into deep space."

"Exactly," I smiled. "I'm glad I'm a Power Ranger, I'm glad we've found Ian, glad we have the Seniors looking out for us, and sure as heck glad I've got you."

Scott smiled. "You'll get the hang of it, don't worry," he said. "It's what you do, man. And you're right - we can't go wrong as long as we stick together," and he went to take another drink of chocolate but found his mug empty. "Darn, I'm empty," he frowned, holding the cup upside down for emphasis.

I glanced down to my own mug. "Me too."

"Then it's a good thing you've got me around," came a voice, and we turned to see Ian come into view balancing three mugs in his hands. "Plenty for everyone," he said, walking over to the wall, sitting down beside us and carefully passing us a cup each.

I accepted the mug Ian offered and took a slow sip. "Ian, you rule. You so do."

"So... what happened to Scrabble?" asked Scott innocently.

"We were kicked out of the library," Ian admitted, then laughed. "It wasn't us! It was Petey and Luke!"

Scott and I leaned back against the wall, our sides aching from laughing so hard, and Ian gave us a few seconds to collect ourselves. "So," he began finally, "I know all about you guys, I got a guided tour of the Command Centre and I even have my own zord," he said, looking to me. "Anything else I need to know?"

I quickly turned to Scott and we grinned at each other, the same mental image of a dark costume flitting through both our minds, before turning back to Ian. "Actually, come to think of it..."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

In hindsight, I should've known something was wrong the second I began to open my eyes and couldn't hear Matthew snoring. Indeed, the total silence I was registering was almost deafening. A second later, I could feel someone's hands on my shoulders shaking me awake, and I looked up and saw Scott, leaning over my bunk with his hands on my shoulders, and Ian pacing the cabin behind him.

"Peter, you awake?" asked Scott, a strange tone in his voice.

I nodded. "Barely," I replied, shaking away the haze of sleep.

"Good. Something's wrong..."

"Yeah, you're out of bed before I am."

He shook his head patiently. "No, there's something going on," he said, and his voice told me everything he needed me to know.

I was awake in a second, leaping out of my sleeping back and glancing around to the other inhabitants of the cabin. But I immediately saw that the cabin was empty. The three of us were the only people in sight.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, confused.

Scott nodded. "That's the problem."

I looked from him to Ian. "I woke up about five minutes ago," explained the Grey Ranger, glancing nervously from Scott to me. If we could handle this, Ian knew he could to. "I figured we'd slept through the wake-up call, but it was way too early and the others wouldn't have left without us. I looked outside but couldn't see anyone out there either."

I nodded. "So we've lost our camp?"

"Well," began Scott, "if everybody left for the run, they went in their pyjamas. We checked before - everyone's running clothes and shoes are still here. And the sleeping bags..."

"Yeah," I agreed, looking around the room. The various sleeping bags looked as if their inhabitants had left without actually getting up and leaving. That was strange in itself - usually this place was a mess first thing in the mornings. Scott was right. "It's like everybody just vanished."

"So where are they?" asked Ian.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions," I began. Something was very wrong, and I could see Ian holding back panic behind his eyes. _What would the Seniors do?_ "Let's get dressed, head outside and take a look around. Maybe it _was_ a prank, and we'll find everyone lying in ambush or something."

The guys nodded, and we turned back to our bags and quickly got dressed. We were just tying our shoelaces when there came an urgent knocking on the door. Scott glanced to Ian and I, got up and went to the cabin door. Whoever was on the other side would determine whether we were looking at a best or worst case scenario.

Scott pulled the door open and groaned - Brendan, Sarah and Teresa stood framed in the doorway. Ian and I immediately jumped to our feet and went over.

By now, everyone was in full Ranger-mode, and Sarah quickly glanced around the interior of the cabin. "You guys lost your room-mates too?" she asked.

Scott nodded. "So this isn't a prank?"

Brendan shook his head. "After I woke up, I checked every cabin. Even had a look in the teacher's quarters and dormitories. Nobody," he said. "I thought I was the only person left on site until I checked the girls' rooms."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded. "Fine. A little creeped out, but nothing happened."

"After he found Sarah and I," said Teresa, "we went out to the road, but everything looked fine. People were driving past, shops were opening up, that kind of thing. Then we came over here to check on you three."

Sarah nodded. "Whatever happened, it only affected the camp."

"And the entire campsite is now totally deserted," I said, walking out of the cabin with Scott and Ian behind me. "So the million dollar question is why? And why weren't the six of us affected?" I shook my head, and doing the only thing I could think of, I raised my communicator to my mouth and lightly tapped the second button. "Zordon?"

"Yes Peter?" replied the sage, and the six of us let out sighs of relief. At least we weren't totally alone.

"There's something going on here at Tallebudgera Camp," I said. "When the six of us woke up this morning, the place was deserted. We're the only people here, and we don't know what happened. Could you maybe run a scan of the campsite?"

"Consider it done," Zordon replied.

There was a second of silence as thousands of kilometres away, Alpha quickly scanned the area for any unusual energy readings, and the six of us worriedly glanced back and forth, wondering what they'd find. Brendan was right - one of the things that defined this place was noise, and the silence of the surrounding camp was becoming increasingly eerie.

"Rangers?" came Zordon's voice.

"We're here," I said.

"Alpha has indeed detected an unusual energy signal that seems to be covering the whole campsite. From the readings here, I'd say the six of you were protected from the effects of this energy because of your power coins."

We all took a second to digest this information. Scott spoke up first.

"Zordon? That energy signal wouldn't happen to resemble a mass teleportation effect, would it?"

"Actually Scott," replied Zordon, "that's very close. To hazard a guess, I'd say that all your friends have indeed been teleported to another location, sometime early this morning. At any rate, the energy signal is very localised. The source of it should be in your immediate vicinity."

"Okay," I nodded. "We'll take a look around and see if we can find anything."

"Be careful Rangers," said Zordon. "Alpha and I will be monitoring the situation. Call us if you need us," and the communicator fell silent.

Teresa glanced around the group. "We should split up, we'll cover more ground that way."

I nodded. "I agree. Brendan, Scott and Teresa," and I turned to the three Rangers on my right, "you guys head over towards the main hall, and check all the cabins and sheds. Sarah, Ian and I will head around the other way."

Everyone nodded. "Sounds like a plan," said Scott. "But take care."

"You too," nodded Sarah. "Call if you need help," and the two groups turned and split up.

* * *

Lochlan slowly opened his eyes, a dull ache throbbing in the back of his head. _What on Earth had just happened?_ One minute, he was having an unusual if not memorable dream where he was an official scorer in a dance competition involving boot-scootin' leprechauns, and the next, it was like his subconscious had switched tracks on him and he was now flying. Only it wasn't just a dream - he really felt like he was weightless, moving through a void of nothingness at top speed. Then, there was a muffled thud, and he felt something cool and hard beneath him. Thinking he'd fallen out of his sleeping bag, he climbed to his feet, still massaging the back of his head, and looked around.

What he saw was something out of a nightmare. He was standing on solid ground, at least, but not in the cabin and maybe not even on Earth. Grey mist swirled around him, and far above, the sky was a blanket of darkness. And it was very, very quiet. Peering into the darkness, he could make out some of his fellow cabin twelve inhabitants nearby, all with the same look of fear and dismay. In the distance he could see more kids, and even the large form of Mr Di Certo a few metres away looking around in confusion. But no best friends in sight.

"Ian, where are you?" he asked, but glancing around, he recognised the two shapes closest to him. "Petey? Luke?" he said, offering his hands and helping them to their feet. "Are you guys okay?"

The two boys nodded. "I guess so," replied Luke slowly. "But what's going on? Where are we?"

Lochlan shrugged. Around them, more and more students were slowly getting to their feet. "I guess..." he began, but he was cut off by a sudden, loud voice from the gloom.

"Good morning to you all," said the voice, deep and gravelly, and Lochlan involuntarily shivered. All the kids and teachers turned until they saw the speaker, and once they did, immediately jumped back in fear, several ducking behind Mr Di Certo. Lochlan took a step backwards, frightened and suddenly wishing more than ever that Ian was there with him.

_Uh oh_...

The speaker stood about six feet fall, silhouetted in what little light was shining in that dark place, covered from head to toe in shining metallic armour that was black with twisting gold designs on its chest and shoulders. Rings of pointed spikes encircled its gauntlets and boots, and two large metal plates protected its shoulders, small blue gems visible on either plate. Glowing orange eyes looked down over a grey mouth-plate, and a dark helmet with gold stripes covered the speaker's head. Atop the figure's helmet was a huge crescent-moon design, one point curving higher than the other.

The speaker took a step forward, and a long staff with a curved blade formed in its hands. "I'm Nightmare," he announced loudly. "Welcome to my world, you'll be staying for quite some time!"

Everyone around Mr Di Certo looked to him for guidance, but all he could do was say, "Don't worry kids, let's stick together. The Power Rangers will be here soon..."

* * *

Sarah, Ian and I walked slowly down a path running between several equipment sheds and the shower block, on the look-out for anything out of place but wary of danger. After checking inside one of the sheds and finding nothing but gardening equipment, I jogged back to Sarah and Ian, and we continued.

"I hope they're all okay," said Ian, glancing back and forth as we crossed the campsite. "I mean, if something happens to Lochie, or..."

"They'll be fine," said Sarah, turning to him. "We'll get to them in time. It's what we do."

"Yeah, but, how do you know?" asked Ian, and he suddenly sounded a great deal smaller. "I mean, when the world goes crazy like this..."

"We're the ones who don't," nodded Sarah. "It's what the suit means. We're the ones who fight the badguys, save the people caught in the middle, and make sure tomorrow gets here. It's just what happens."

"And it's really that simple?"

I nodded. "Most of the time. We're the good guys and we win. Anything else just gets in the way."

"Exactly," Sarah said. "I kinda prefer being on this side, anyway."

Ian turned to her. "You do?"

"Well, when the bad guys show up, we don't have to sit there, act helpless and wait for somebody to rescue us," Sarah replied. "When they shove in one direction, we can shove _back_." She paused thoughtfully. "Or punch..."

"Or kick," I added helpfully.

Sarah nodded. "Sometimes headbutt. Whatever works."

Ian smiled despite himself, and Sarah continued. "Like I said, we're good at what we do, and..." when suddenly, our communicators chimed. Sarah immediately raised her wrist to her mouth and spoke.

"We're here," she said.

"Guys," came Teresa's voice, "we've found something. We're beside the driveway, behind cabin six."

Sarah nodded. "We're on our way," and the Purple Ranger lowered her wrist and turned to Ian and I. "Let's roll."

* * *

Brendan, Scott and Teresa had been working their way towards the main hall, and had followed a path around cabin six which led to a grassy area beside the gravel driveway. Scott was the first to spot the stone statue of a black panther, resting on a short marble column about thirty feet away and staring at them through two yellow topaz jewels set in place of eyes.

"What do you think it is?" asked Teresa, after she'd called the three of us.

"A panther," replied Scott with a small smile, approaching the statue, "although what it means is still up in the air."

Teresa stopped as Brendan and Scott continued to edge closer. "Guys, be careful."

"We'll be..." began Scott, but as he put his foot down, it went _right through_ the ground, sinking down through the grass like it wasn't there. Unable to shout a warning, the Blue Ranger lost his footing and fell forward, tumbling face-first through the ground. Behind him, Brendan reacted without thinking, diving to the ground even as Scott was falling. His head and torso dropped through the grass, but never losing sight of Scott, his hand shot down and wrapped around the Blue Ranger's right ankle in midair, digging his feet into the ground behind him.

Suddenly yanked out of his downward plunge, Scott turned and looked up at Brendan, but finally saw the full extent of his situation. Above him, Brendan was dangling out of a blue 'hole' of sorts, and looking closely, he could see the morning sky above the camp, and leaves from nearby overhanging trees. Around the circular portal in the air, though, was a purple sky, and around on all sides were jagged mountainous peaks. Far, far below, he could see a violet-coloured earth of canyons and crevices.

Both Rangers took this in instantly, and Brendan desperately glanced up and back when he felt himself slipping forward on the wet grass, steadily sliding into the abyss.

"Teresa!"

The White Ranger immediately put the pieces together - hidden portal to nowhere, it was a trap - and seeing Brendan sliding forward, Teresa launched herself towards him, wrapping her body around his legs and, while unable to pull the combined mass of Brendan and her brother back, Teresa successfully held the Aqua Ranger in place.

"Scott!" Teresa cried, unable to see into the hole.

"I'm here!" her brother shouted back

Teresa let out a sigh of relief. "Can you... Try to teleport out!"

Hanging upside down, Scott nodded, and reaching for his wrist, he tapped the top button - nothing happened. Pleading silently with his communicator, he tried again but got the same result.

"Teresa? It's not working! I can't teleport!"

"The others will be here soon enough," said Brendan, grunting with the exertion. "I really hate to use this pun, but we'll just have to hang tight. Can we get you right side up?"

Scott nodded, glancing down. "I like that idea," he said. "Hold on for a sec," and he swung forward once, back once, and forward again, reaching up towards Brendan - never letting go of Scott's ankle, Brendan caught Scott's outstretched hand and gripped his wrist tightly, before letting go of Scott's ankle and catching the other wrist, the Blue Ranger swinging briefly underneath.

"I got you," Brendan nodded. Scott smiled a thank you, before glancing down and letting out a loud sigh.

"Guys don't worry!" came Teresa's voice suddenly. "The cavalry's here!"

Sarah, Ian and I had heard Teresa cry out and rounded the cabin at top speed. Seeing Teresa lying on the ground with half of Brendan, we immediately figured out what had happened and raced over.

"Scott down there?" I asked.

Teresa nodded. "Hurry."

"Gotcha," I said, and having the longest reach, I dropped to the ground and began crawling to the edge of the hole. "Sarah! Ian! Hold me! When I kick with my left foot, start dragging me out!" And with that, both Rangers grabbed a steady hold of my legs.

Inching forward with a steady weight on my legs, I half-climbed and half-dropped down into the portal, the purple and blue world soon appearing around me. As Sarah and Ian steadily lowered me, I turned and came face-to-face with Brendan.

"Hey there," I said. "You okay?"

"Been better," he grunted, and grinned.

"Peter!" said Scott, looking up to me with a smile. "Damn, am I glad to see you."

I smiled, extending my arms. With one hand, he reached over and clasped my wrist, before letting go of Brendan and taking hold of my other hand. I kicked back with my left foot, and I was immediately dragged back out of the portal, steadily hauling Scott to safety. Finally, Sarah and Ian pulled me back onto solid ground, and coming forward, Ian lifted Scott free and helped him down beside me. Finally, as Scott and I sat recovering our breath, Sarah and Ian helped Teresa drag Brendan to safety, and he collapsed on the grass beside us.

"Well," said Brendan cheerfully, "that was fun. Scott, you okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "Heights never worried me," he said. "Until twenty seconds ago. Thank you both."

Brendan nodded, and turned to Teresa. "What he said. We'd both be down there if it wasn't for you."

The White Ranger smiled. "I do what I can."

Suddenly our communicators all beeped. "Rangers!" came Zordon's voice. "Rangers, are you okay? Alpha and I were watching on the viewing screen..."

"We're fine," replied Scott. "Everybody's okay. But what the heck is up with that statue?"

"The statue is a totem for the demon monster Panthor," Zordon explained, "which explains your present situation. Panthor has the powerful ability to warp space around itself."

"So it could easily create portals to nowhere," began Sarah.

"And magically teleport hundreds of people to another location," I finished.

"Precisely," Zordon replied. "Our scan shows the rift before you is being powered by the crystal on the panther's collar. Destroy the crystal, and the portal should close."

At that, we all turned and saw the small blue crystal hidden in shadow under the panther's stone chin. "Always a crystal," I said, shaking my head. "You'd think they'd learn..."

Beside me, Ian picked up a large stone from the driveway and threw it with all his strength - his aim was flawless, the stone smashing into the crystal, shattering it and releasing a sudden pulse of blue light. A second later, the pulse dissipated, and Scott picked up another stone and threw it forward - it landed harmlessly on the grass.

"All right," he said with a thumbs-up. "Portal's gone."

Ian nodded. "One problem down, one to go."

"That's what you think," came a sinister, silky voice from behind us. Acting on instinct, we automatically leaped to our feet and spun around. A tall, dark creature had suddenly emerged from behind one of the cabins and was steadily stalking towards us. It was covered from head to toe in black fur, and sculpted-muscles were stretched taut beneath its skin. The beast wore blue boots, blue body armour and silver gauntlets, either gauntlet carrying a large blue sapphire. Its head was catlike and fierce, with menacing yellow eyes and a mouth of jagged teeth, while behind the creature, a long slender tail twitched in the sunlight.

"Let me guess," I said. "You're Panthor?"

The creature facing us growled. "You'd better believe it," he replied.

Sarah took a step forward. "Then you'd better release our friends, right now."

The monster laughed, his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "You're making demands? How pathetically noble. I'll have your friends for lunch!"

Ian instantly paled and took a step back, but without looking I reached down and caught hold of his wrist. He turned to me, took a breath, and looked back to the monster.

Panthor continued. "You're going to pay for smashing my totem," he said, and holding out his arm, a long black sword materialised in his hand. Raising the blade, he advanced towards us.

"_Now_ we get to the monster fight," grinned Brendan.

I nodded, and reached for my back pocket. "Okay guys, it's morphin' time!"

"Iguanodon!"

"Dilophosaurus!"

"Rhamphorynchus!"

"Brontosaurus!"

"Velociraptor!"

"Stegosaurus!" I cried, completing the sequence, and in a flash of light, the six of us were fully morphed and ready for battle.

"Let's take this guy," nodded Teresa, and we all raced forward to meet our advancing opponent.

Leaping towards us, the monster slashed at the team with his sword. Ian and I were both sent crashing as the blade sliced across our suits, but the other Rangers dodged around the blow and attacked. Teresa leaped into the air and knocked the beast back with a high spin kick. Panthor regained his footing, turned to the White Ranger and raised his blade, but Brendan knocked the beast's hand away before landing several rapid punches to Panthor's chest-armour. The beast slashed at him with his blade and the Aqua Ranger ducked, but struck Brendan away with a low kick. Panthor turned to follow after the Aqua Ranger, but Teresa somersaulted down before him. Panthor lashed out with his claws - Teresa blocked the move, striking away a low kick and stepping back around the beast's sword before a lightning-fast kick to the beast's snout sent Panthor crashing.

The monster staggered back, disorientated, and now with a clear shot, I took the opportunity to attack, leaping towards him and kicking high. Panthor dodged to the side, turned to me and slashed with his claws - I blocked the move, striking away a chest-high swipe and batting away a low kick, before landing a solid blow to his stomach and aiming a high punch. He caught my first and threw it away, before raising his sword and slashing it towards me. I ducked under the blade, dodged right around a vertical slash and leaped back and over a low slice. Panthor roared and slashed again - I caught his wrist and struck it aside, before an elbow to the chest knocked him away.

The monster found his footing, turned and saw Scott within striking range. He raised his blade and slashed it at his opponent, but Scott wordlessly summoned his Power Staff and blocked the sword midswing in a shower of sparks. Batting the blade away, he landed a solid blow before bringing the staff back around to strike the monster's ribcage. Panthor roared and lashed out - Scott ducked under the blow, blocking another before landing a powerful high kick and sending the monster stumbling towards Sarah and Ian. Panthor lashed out desperately at the two Rangers, but Sarah struck away a low swipe and caught the beast's arm, before Ian stepped forward and threw all his strength into a powerful right hook that slammed the monster to the ground.

"Good work guys," I said, as we regrouped. Just then, our communicators all chimed, and I raised my wrist and spoke. "Zordon?"

"Rangers," came Zordon's voice. "Alpha and I have been analysing your opponent, and the energy field around the campsite is being powered by the jewel on Panthor's right gauntlet."

I nodded. "Thanks, that's all we needed to hear," and I turned to Ian, remembering the skill he'd shown earlier. "Can you make the shot?"

In reply, the Grey Ranger wordlessly held his arms across his chest, and his two Power Blasters formed, one in either hand. Across from us, Panthor had by now recovered, and with an angry growl, raised his blade and charged back towards us. Unfazed, Ian leveled the two blasters at the monster, and fired.

His aim was perfect, the laser blast smashing into the sapphire on the beast's gauntlet and shattering it, the resulting explosion of sparks and fire throwing Panthor to the ground. Like before, a sudden pulse of bright light lit up the area, and a shimmering blue portal began to open about thirty feet away from us.

"Wow, nice shot," nodded Sarah.

"Ian," I said, turning to him, "head into the portal, and bring everybody back. We'll stay here and finish off Panthor."

Ian turned from the portal to me. "But what if...?"

"You can handle it," I said, in a voice that was encouraging yet at the same time left no room for disagreement.

Ian nodded. "You really think I can do this?"

"I really think you can," I replied, "now go!"

"Right," the Grey Ranger nodded, and as the five of us once again charged Panthor, Ian turned away, gripped his blasters tightly and ran over to the portal. Not sure what to expect, he grit his teeth and leaped through, instantly entering into the nightmare realm on the other side. _Well, that was kind of easy_... But from the point of view of the students, teachers and camp staff trapped within, the sudden appearance of the Grey Power Ranger emerging from a shining portal and holding his weapons high was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "It's the Grey Ranger!" and there was a slow ripple as everyone in the space turned to look.

Ian smiled beneath his helmet. _Everyone's okay_._ Phew_.

"Okay everybody!" he shouted, pointing back towards the portal. "Anyone who's not having the time of their life, camp's right back through there!"

As one the crowd surged forward, and Ian stepped to the side to avoid being trampled. "Head for the main hall, you'll be safe there!" he yelled. The huge group of kids didn't need to be told twice, fleeing through the portal in droves.

Suddenly, he heard a roar from behind him, and he instinctively raised his blasters and spun around. In front of him stood Nightmare, raising his staff and slowly approaching the ever-diminishing crowd of students. Turning from the hostages fleeing capture, the monster looked back to Ian and gave the Grey Ranger a fiery stare, his eyes glowing with rage.

"Those are my hostages!" the demon cried. "Who do you think you are?"

Ian stepped forward, keeping the monster's attention just long enough for the last few students to make their escape. "I'm your worst nightmare."

"No," began the monster, "that's me!" And with his orange eyes aflame, Nightmare unleashed a barrage of laser blasts towards the Grey Ranger. The whole area erupted in sparks and fire, but Ian dived forward over the blasts, rolled to his feet and somersaulted over his opponent in one smooth motion. Landing, he sent Nightmare stumbling with a kick to the back of the monster's helmet.

"In that case," Ian said, "I'm your early morning wake-up call."

Enraged, Nightmare spun back around and swung his staff low. Ian jumped up and over the blade, kicking Nightmare back with a blow to the chest. The monster recovered and struck back with a right roundhouse punch, but Ian ducked under the monster's fist, blocked a follow-up attack from the demon's staff and smashed his two blasters against the side of Nightmare's helmet. Pausing for a second to shake the ringing in his ears, Nightmare struck out with a low kick, but Ian sidestepped the move, spinning back around and aiming a high kick.

Nightmare countered quickly, spinning under the blow and slashing his staff at Ian's torso in one smooth motion. The blade missed the Grey Ranger by an inch, and when Nightmare swung again, Ian crossed his blasters and held them forward, halting the blade's downward stroke. Nightmare roared, and with the monster's eyes flashing, Ian took to the air as a barrage of laser blasts exploded from the demon's eyes. With the blasts passing harmlessly underneath, Ian dropped to the ground and raised his blasters.

"You want to play that way? Fine by me," he said, and began firing. At point blank range the Grey Ranger couldn't have missed, the blasts lifting the monster off his feet and sending him crashing to the ground several metres away.

Encouraged by his own success, the Grey Ranger charged forward to continue the battle.

* * *

The huge mass of students, teachers, camp staff and a milk delivery man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time thundered out of the portal, heading right towards the five of us and Panthor. I glanced from the approaching tide of kids to our opponent and back again - this could be a problem.

"Brendan, Scott," I began, speaking quickly, "crowd control, now!"

"You got it," nodded the Blue Ranger, and the two raced away from the battleground to redirect the crowd.

"Giving up so soon?" growled Panthor, watching Scott and Brendan depart.

"Not hardly," replied Sarah, and the three of us leaped back towards him.

Reaching the monster first, I ducked a swipe from his blade, landed a left backhand and slammed him back with a jump kick. Regaining his footing, the monster turned to face me but stepped back as Sarah and Teresa dropped down in front of the monster, sending him crashing with a double high kick. They followed after him as the monster stumbled backwards - Teresa struck away a low swipe and landed a blow the monster's stomach even as Sarah aimed a high punch. Fighting side-by-side, the girls forced Panthor back with every step, raining blow after blow on the hapless monster. Teresa landed a judo chop while Sarah kicked low - the beast dodged to the side and desperately slashed his blade for the two Rangers, but Teresa nimbly ducked under the swipe and knocked the weapon away with a low kick, before Sarah spun around on the spot and smashed her boot into the beast's jaw with a roundhouse kick - Panthor was launched off his feet, and he crashed to the ground and moved no further.

Having turned the stampede of people towards the main hall, Scott and Brendan returned, and we all regrouped. All of a sudden, there came sounds of a tremendous explosion from through the portal, and we turned to see a large figure come flying out of the portal, spinning through the air and crashing to the ground beside Panthor. Behind the monster, Ian emerged from the portal and walked triumphantly over to us. The nightmare realm no longer in use, the portal automatically sealed itself shut and disappeared.

"Whoa," began Brendan, eyeing the fallen monster.

"Yeah," nodded Scott. "Good work."

"Told you that you could do it," I said with a smile.

Ian laughed. "That you did," he said, "that you did. So, did we win?"

Teresa looked around. "Captives are free, monsters are defeated. I'd say we did a pretty good morning's work," she smiled.

* * *

Far above us, Rita stood watching the battle, growing increasingly furious with every blow the Rangers landed, with the escape of the students and teachers, and with the ease at which the Grey Ranger had single-handedly defeated Nightmare. And now, as per usual, it was time to raise the stakes.

"You fight fine on the ground," the witch muttered, angrily raising her staff, "but let's see how you fight on _my_ terms. Grow monsters, grow!"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"...Three, two, one," counted Brendan, as the surge of lightning struck down from above, dancing over the camp buildings and striking the ground around the fallen monsters. A sudden explosion obscured our view, and seconds later, Nightmare and Panthor rose out of the cloud of smoke, rejuvenated and standing over fifteen storeys tall. The two monsters blinked and looked to each other for a second before glaring down at us.

Teresa turned to me. "Can we take two at once?"

"We don't have a choice," I said, and the six of us lifted our arms to the sky and raised our voices.

"We need dinozord power now!"

The ground began shaking, and a roar that echoed along the Gold Coast announced the arrival of the six mighty zords. We all turned to look as the colossal mechanised beasts came powering through the city towards the campsite, the orange Stegozord leading the charge and the Brontozord and Dilophozord immediately behind it. Following them, the Velociraptor was agilely darting from street to street, leaping over houses and cars with its head held low alongside the low-flying Rhamphorynchus. Finally, completing the charge came the silver Iguanodon, thundering towards us with its red eyes flashing and tail swaying through the air behind it with every enormous step.

"All right guys," I said, "let's go!" And we tapped our communicators and teleported into the approaching zords. I materialised in the Stegozord cockpit and immediately logged on. "Stegozord, online! Battle sequence, now!"

In a flash of light, the zords began transforming. The Stegozord's back and front legs contracted against the zord's body, and once the plates along its back had folded down, the orange and silver body rotated vertical to rest on its chin. Beside the Stegozord, the Brontozord's forelimbs pulled together, and the silver neck sections sank down into each other, lowering the zord's head to ground level. Finally, when the tail flipped back and the zord's hind legs drew against its body, the zord's body rose vertical. Racing towards the two smaller zords, the Dilophozord lightly took to the air, its lower legs folding up at the knees, its forearms pulling close to its body and its head dropping down behind the chestplate. As the Megazord's head was revealed, the zord descended down onto the two other transformed mechs.

Behind the Megazord, the Velociraptor leaped into the air and split in half, the legs, forearms and head collapsing against the body and tail segments folding back. Both halves connected to the Dilophozord, giving the Megazord arms. Finally, Sarah angled the Rhamphorynchus down towards us, and the purple zord was drawn against the Megazord with a crackle of electricity, giving the mechanised warrior a chest-shield and stylised body armour. The five of us were instantly seated in the Megazord's control room, staring out across the camp towards the two monsters.

"Megazord, power up!"

The Megazord soon joined the Iguanodon standing on the sports field beside the camp. It was the first time we'd formed the Megazord since battling Ultramarine, and the zord looked more powerful than ever, its head having undergone a significant redesign. A thin strip of orange ran around the Megazord's chin, and above that, a silver plate covered the lower half of the face, while a thin vertical strip accounted for the nose. The cockpit sat behind the Megazord's two golden eyes, and a silver v-shaped design ran up over the brow. Aside from a small silver crownpiece, the back, top and sides of the head were all covered in aqua armour plating. The Megazord looked both majestic and powerful.

"Ian, you all set?" I asked, speaking into the radio.

The Iguanodon took a step forward and roared. "Ready to roll," Ian replied with a smile. "I, uh, think."

"Right then," nodded Scott, "let's rock!" And with that, the two zords turned to Panthor and Nightmare and began powering across the battlefield towards them, shaking the ground with every titanic step.

Tightening his grip around his staff, Nightmare took a giant step towards the approaching Iguanodon, eagerly anticipating a rematch with the Grey Ranger. But suddenly, Panthor raised his hand and halted the monster's advance.

"Let's see how well they play on our turf," Panthor growled. Turning back to the approaching zords, the monster held his arms wide, and the sapphires on either gauntlet began to glow. Without warning, the blue sky, white clouds and bright sun all disappeared in a flash of blue light, replaced by a solid purple-coloured haze. The beach, campsite and road, indeed, the entire city was gone - we were all now suddenly standing on a wide featureless plain ringed by jagged blue mountains, the peaks the same colour as the earth beneath us.

"Whoa," said Teresa, "what happened? Where are we?"

Scott turned to his sister. "Back in Panthor's home dimension, from the look of it."

The radio crackled. "Guys," came Ian's voice, "when the monsters grew, Panthor's crystals regenerated. He got his powers back."

"Well," said Brendan, "at least this time, we know how to defeat him."

Across the plain, Panthor turned to Nightmare and smiled. "_Now_ we get them."

Nightmare nodded, and turning back to the Iguanodon, raised his weapon and charged forward. Hesitating a second longer, Panthor did the same.

"Guys," began Sarah, "look out! Here they come!"

Overtaking Nightmare, Panthor leaped into the air towards us, raising his blade and slashing the weapon as he fell, but the Megazord quickly stepped back out of danger. Charging forward, Panthor raised his weapon and swung again, but the Megazord blocked his arm with a metallic clang and struck the monster back with a powerful right hook. Panthor staggered backwards but regained his footing soon enough, slashing out at the approaching Megazord with his claws and carving through the Megazord's chestplate. Showers of sparks fell from the zord's chest, but the Megazord batted away Panthor's claws and smashed its fists against the beast's chest, the blow sending the monster crashing.

Panthor recovered quickly and sprang back towards us. The Megazord caught his blade in a shower of sparks, knocking it aside and landing a punch to the beast's snout. Panthor stumbled to the side but slammed his left gauntlet into the Megazord's chestplate. The Megazord stumbled back, and Panthor turned after us and attacked - the Megazord blocked one swipe and struck away a low kick, but the demon landed three rapid punches to the Megazord's stomach. The Megazord knocked away Panthor's fists, and the monster stepped back and slashed his sword at the Megazord's head. The zord ducked under the blade, and rammed its fists against Panthor's chin as he passed, sending the monster to the ground with a thundering crash. But he soon rolled to his feet.

"We're getting nowhere," said Scott.

"We've gotta smash those sapphires," said Sarah. "That'll weaken him and get us home at the same time."

"You're right," I nodded. "We might as well bring out the heavy artillery."

"We need the Power Sword, now!"

Behind us, Nightmare had charged towards the Iguanodon, raising his staff and sweeping the blade towards the zord. Ian steered the zord safely under the curved blade, and when Nightmare swung again, the zord blocked the blade in a shower of sparks and slammed the monster backwards with a blow to the stomach. Regaining his footing, Nightmare turned to face the zord with his eyes glowing brightly - the laser barrage struck home, and the front of the silver Iguanodon erupted in sparks and smoke. Ian glanced around the cockpit as sparks rained down over him, but confident in the battle machine, he pressed the zord forward. Thundering out of the smoke cloud seemingly unharmed, the Iguanodon struck out at the surprised monster, landing several blows in rapid succession before a powerful kick sent him to the ground.

Nightmare rolled to a stop and climbed to his feet, turning to face the Iguanodon. But beside the Grey Ranger's zord, the Megazord's golden eyes began to flash, and as arcs of electricity crackled around the zord, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the Megazord stood holding the formidable Power Sword.

"All right!" cried Teresa.

"Yeah," said Scott, "it worked!"

Wielding the powerful blade, the Megazord took a thundering step towards Panthor. The beast roared as we approached, raising his own sword to strike. But as he swung the blade on a direct course straight for us, the Megazord slashed the Power Sword towards the descending weapon, and the sword carved clean through Panthor's sword, the broken blade spinning through the air and falling to the ground behind us.

Panthor froze, staring in disbelief at the remains of his weapon. Seizing the opportunity, the Megazord raised the sword again and swung it towards Panthor's left gauntlet, striking the sapphire and destroying it. Panthor stumbled back in a cloud of smoke and fire, and following after him, the Megazord swung again, this time for the monster's right gauntlet - again, there was fiery explosion as the blade struck the sapphire and shattered the jewel into thousands of tiny shards, but suddenly, there was a bright pulse of light...

...and we were right back at Tallebudgera Camp, the Megazord and Iguanodon landing side-by-side on the highway while Panthor fell to the ground on the sportsfield with an earth-shaking crash, landing beside Nightmare in a cloud of dust.

"Awesome!" said Brendan. "We did it!"

Inside the Iguanodon, Ian smiled. "Good job guys."

"Thanks," I replied. Across from us, Nightmare let out a low growl and began advancing towards the Iguanodon. "Ian, heads up."

Ian squared his jaw and the Iguanodon took a thundering step forward. "Got it covered guys."

As we watched, Nightmare stepped over the fence and onto the road, and was raising his staff to strike when the Iguanodon opened fire, energy blasts exploding from the mechanised beast's eyes. The force of the assault lifted Nightmare off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground. Rolling to a stop, the monster slowly staggered to his feet, and the Iguanodon stepped towards him.

"You know I've never understood what's so scary about nightmares anyway," said Ian, then raised his voice. "So here's a solid dose of reality. Iguanodon Essence blast, fire!"

The Iguanodon held its arms wide as dark clouds swirled in the skies above, and lightning bolts stuck down around the zord, flashes of light illuminating the city. Eyes glowing red, the zord's chestplate began to shine, and the symbol blasted through the air in a burst of energy, smashing into Nightmare and instantly destroying him in a fiery explosion that shook the campsite and sent a plume of smoke rocketing skywards.

"Whoa, nice firepower," said Brendan.

"With one down," said Teresa, "let's take out Panthor."

The radio crackled. "Well done Ian," boomed Zordon's voice. "Rangers, before you destroy Panthor you should know we've just finished reconfiguring the Iguanodon, and it is now capable of combining with the Megazord."

I nodded, but couldn't help myself and began grinning beneath my visor. "All right guys, let's do it," and we all raised our arms to the sky. "We call upon the power of Titanus, now!"

Within seconds, the ground began shaking, and the mighty carrier zord Titanus exploded onto the scene with a powerful roar, punching clean through a row of low hills on the horizon and sending a cloud of debris high into the air. Powering through the city towards us with his eyes glowing red, Titanus's silver armour fairly sparkled in the morning sunlight, and even as the great zord arrived, his twin side cannons were repositioning themselves over the zord's armoured shoulders.

"Ultrazord, power up!"

The Iguanodon's chestplate immediately teleported away and reattached itself to the Megazord. A second later, the Iguanodon's arms folded back to reveal a row of cannons, and the zord's body split in two, each half swinging up horizontally. Hanging over the Megazord for a few seconds, the Iguanodon's head lowered over the Megazord's crownpiece while its body attached to the zord's arms and shoulders to form impenetrable armour plating. Finally, Ian found himself teleported into our control room between Sarah and Teresa, and the combined mass of zords dropped down into Titanus's back - in a blaze of fire, the Ultrazord had formed.

Panthor stood defiantly facing down the towering Ultrazord. "You will never defeat me!"

"But from where we're sitting," I said, "the odds are pretty damn good."

Ian nodded, staring out across the battlefield to Panthor. "Any other superheroes, any other team of champions, and _just_ maybe, you'd have a point." He stopped, and shook his head. "But we're the Power Rangers. You'd lost this fight before you even bothered showing up."

"Exactly," said Brendan beside me. "Haven't you heard? We don't let the badguys win. What do you say guys? Let's wrap this guy up."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Ultrazord, lock on and fire!"

The targetting systems within the Ultrazord instantly locked onto the demon, and seconds later, an enormous barrage of laser blasts, fireballs and guided rockets roared forth, exploding through the air and smashing into the monster with earth-shattering force, tearing him apart in a cataclysmic explosion that lit up the Gold Coast, sent a huge fireball billowing skyward and rattled buildings all the way down into the next state.

There was a second of silence as the smoke began to clear, and I turned around to face Ian.

"And that's how we do it," I nodded.

Ian smiled. "Hold up, I should probably take some notes."

"Well," said Teresa, "that was certainly an intense start to the day."

"Yeah," agreed Brendan. "A lot more exciting than a jog on the beach, at any rate. Heck, most classes just go hiking on the final day..."

We all laughed. "You gotta admit, he's got a point," smiled Scott. "But I think we should probably head back before we're missed. Shall we go?"

* * *

After their escape from Nightmare thanks to the Grey Ranger, everybody had raced into the main hall and taken cover, the Currimundi residents all knowing exactly how large these battles generally became. Everyone, camp staff and teachers included, had gathered together in a close group and held hands, listening to the zords' arrival outside. For a few minutes there was nothing but silence, and nobody dared to get up and have a look, but suddenly there came an almighty crash followed by what felt like an earthquake and two unbelievably loud explosions. Then, for a few seconds, there was silence.

A sudden flash of light drew everyone's attention, but as one, the group sighed with relief - the six Power Rangers stood framed at one side of the room. Smiling with wonder, Mr Di Certo climbed to his feet and walked over to them.

The Orange Ranger stepped forward to meet him.

"It's all right," I said, resting my hand on the teacher's shoulder. "You're safe now. Both monsters have been destroyed. Everything's okay."

Saying no more, I stepped back, and the six of us reached for our morphers.

In the back of the room, the silence was suddenly broken as one of the students began clapping, the noise echoing throughout the room. And within a few seconds, every single person in the hall was clapping and cheering, throwing their arms up, jumping around and joyfully celebrating the victory.

We all paused, and I glanced from Teresa on my right to Ian on my left, blushing beneath my helmet. The six of us were heroes, and that was the simple truth of it. We suited up, went out, fought monsters and saved the day because nobody else could. But every so often, it was great to be reminded why.

I glanced to my team-mates and nodded, and in six flashes of coloured light, we teleported away.

* * *

The six of us materialised safely out of sight behind the building. Demorphing, we snuck back into the hall and joined the celebration within. Once the fanfare had died down, the teachers quickly called the roll and found that everyone was accounted for. After that, it was a replay of what had happened several mornings ago after Pisces' attack. The camp staff called the press and told them what had taken place in the early hours of the morning, sure to include that everyone was okay, and one-by-one, the students were thoroughly checked over by a team of nurses before being let out into the steadily-filling food hall for breakfast.

The topic of conversation over breakfast wasn't what the activities for the day were or what was happening back home, but the battle this morning. The six of us sat together, and Ian blushed every time he heard someone mention how awesome the Grey Ranger had been, which included the five of us.

"You know it's funny," said Scott, as another group of kids came into the foodhall behind us and found seats. "I was actually looking forward to the final beach run of the week. It's a shame we missed it."

"Don't worry," I said, "you wouldn't have missed much." And with a grin, I reached into my pocket and held up Mr Chamberlain's whistle.

Breakfast went overtime, and it was soon nine o'clock. As the last student to be checked out by the camp nurse came in and grabbed something to eat, there was a loud shout from outside, and we all turned to see Mrs Larson and Mr Burgess come charging into the hall.

"Everyone!" shouted Mr Burgess, out of breath. "You have to get ready, the Goondiwindi bus is going to be here in twenty minutes!"

There was a second of silence, as we all realised the exact same thing - in all our excitement we'd completely forgotten it was the last day of camp.

What followed next could only be described as pandemonium, as everyone raced back to their dorms and began a massive clean-up. Sleeping bags were folded, clothes were crammed into suitcases, and everyone began cleaning. In cabin 12, I finished packing and hauled my bags outside, leaving them beside the growing pile of luggage on the grass before heading back in to check I hadn't forgotten anything. Scott was nowhere in sight, and I briefly wondered whether he'd strayed too close to someone and had accidentally been stuffed in a duffel bag, but he soon appeared at the door, mop, bucket and broom in hand.

I made a dash for the door that would've left an Olympic sprinter in awe, but Scott held the mop and broom across the entrance and blocked my escape.

"You're in this too," he said, and handed me the mop with a grin.

I smiled. "But I'm not giving in without a fight," I said. Stepping out of the cabin and using what Brendan had once nicknamed my scary-leader-voice, I shouted, "Ian! Lochlan! Cleaning duty, pronto!"

The boys automatically looked up and jogged over, although I noticed Ian grinning as he and Lochlan stepped into the cabin. My technique still needed work. At any rate, the cabin was spotless and the floor was sparkling within a few minutes. Admiring our work, Scott proudly pronounced the floor as clean enough to eat off, and Petey and Luke (who'd been standing outside watching) actually decided to test the theory, telling us afterwards that the expression was better left as a metaphor.

By now the Goondiwindi bus had arrived and was parked on the gravel driveway. All the Goondiwindi students and teachers dragged their luggage over to the bus and began loading their bags, while the students from Currimundi all gathered around them.

Brendan, Sarah, Teresa, Scott and I stood together, watching as the Goondiwindi students said their goodbyes to everyone before climbing up into the sleek grey bus. Petey and Luke climbed the steps but turned back and waved to Brendan, Scott and I with beaming grins. The three of us cheerfully waved back, glad to have met the two boys but knowing we'd never play Scrabble the same way again.

With most of the students onboard, Lochlan and Ian wandered over to us.

Smiling, Lochlan shook each of our hands in turn. "It was great to meet you guys and hang out for the week," he said. "I'm actually gonna miss this."

Teresa nodded. "Yeah," she smiled. "We should come back next year."

Lochlan laughed. "Only without the giant monsters next time. At least this was a camp I'll definitely remember."

The five us glanced nervously back and forth. "It was... just a great week all around," said Scott finally.

"Yeah," said Sarah. "Take care of Ian for us."

Lochlan nodded. "Somebody has to," he said, grinning and turning to Ian. "I'm gonna go grab a seat on the bus. You want me to save you one?"

Ian nodded. "That'd be great, thanks," he said, and as Lochlan dashed off, the Grey Ranger turned back to us.

"I don't want to say goodbye," Ian said. "I mean, I know it isn't - I'm like one button-press away from you guys," and he lightly tapped his communicator, before turning to Brendan and I. "But I'm gonna miss you, all of you. You guys gave me the chance to fight alongside real heroes, the Power Rangers, and the one thing I wanted to say before we all left is thank you."

"What for?" asked Scott.

Brendan grinned. "Yeah dude, you're a part of the team now," he said. "We should be thanking you for bailing us out of trouble."

Ian smiled. "It's just, when Zordon gave me the Iguanodon Power Coin, I thought it would be scary, you know, I thought this would be really hard," he said. "But it wasn't - you guys made it so easy, you helped me be part of something bigger. And I don't know how to thank you for that."

Teresa smiled. "There's nothing to say thanks for," she said. "Sometimes you just belong. Exactly where you're supposed to be."

"Yeah," Sarah said. "We're gonna miss you too, a lot."

Ian nodded. "I mean a week ago I wasn't a Power Ranger. And now..."

I stepped forward. "You were always a Ranger Ian," I said. "The only thing different is now we know for sure."

He laughed softly. "Don't tell me that," he smiled, stepping forward and shaking hands with each of the guys. "It'll do my ego no good at all." We laughed, and Ian quickly hugged the girls before stepping back. "So, I guess what I _can_ say is, I'll see you when I see you." And with that, he turned and walked over to the bus.

Ian was the last Goondiwindi student. After he hopped onboard, the door closed with a 'hiss', and the bus driver eased the bus down the driveway and out onto the highway, the bus soon disappearing from sight as we all stood waving it goodbye.

* * *

The Currimundi buses arrived two hours later, and we all left the main hall where we'd been sitting after several games of beach cricket, went across to where we'd piled our luggage, and carried it over. The buses were long, streamlined and red, and Brendan pointed out that the school must've won the lottery sometime in the past week to afford them. The week at camp had taken its toll - everybody was exhausted and looking forward to the long, quiet trip home.

The camp staff came down to see us off, and we all walked over to say goodbye, thanking Mr Burgess for being such a cool headmaster and briefly chatting with Mr Potter and Ms Moule about the week. Wishing them well, the girls and Brendan headed for one bus, while Scott and I walked over to the other.

Taking a step up onto the bus, I suddenly wanted to see the campsite one last time, and turning around, I looked over to the main hall and its colourful mural, saw the food hall, the shower block and the line of small cabins, and took a final lingering glance around the grassy field. What a week it had been. Lochlan was right - a week to remember. So much had changed. I smiled and turned back, stepping up into the bus.

And so much hadn't.

I quickly dived into a seat, securing the window-seat to Scott's chagrin, and settled down into it. Then the bus began to move, and we left Tallebudgera Camp behind us, pulling onto the highway and picking up some speed as the Gold Coast flashed by.

Scott turned to me. "At least the ride home should be quicker than the journey here."

I laughed. "Here's hoping."

"Definitely."

Smiling, I turned back to the window, shut my eyes and leaned against the glass, and before long, the rhythmic vibrations of the bus had eased me into a deep, soothing, peaceful sleep.

The End.


End file.
